All Of Me
by Aron Jane
Summary: "They were doomed from the start. They were surrounded by a cloud of deception. In the end, there could only be him . . . and there could only be her." SasuNaru, fem!Naru, AU.
1. Chapter 1

**All Of Me: A Naruto Fanfiction**

_Summary: "They were doomed from the start. They were surrounded by a cloud of deception. In the end, there could only be him . . . and there could only be her." SasuNaru, fem!Naru, AU._

**WARNING: SasuNaru, fem!Naru, rated for cursing and future scenes. **

**DISCLAIMER: Come on, do I look like I own Naruto? **

* * *

**Chapter One: For Whom the Bell Tolls**

"Good morning, sunshine!" A cheery blonde woman greeted her son, roughly tugging on the covers that hid her beloved. A muffled moan resonated throughout the room as she persistently played tug-of-war with him, the quilt making a remarkable replacement for the supposed rope.

This was the routine of Uzumaki Naruto – or _Naru, _for short – a proud twenty-three year-old single mother who strived to be the best – not to mention annoying mom – any kid five miles from where she stood could ever have. Of course, her young son, Uzumaki Sora, would certainly digress and endlessly complain about how troublesome his mother was.

But then again, the child was a mere three year old, and all three year olds hated their mothers when they weren't getting what they wanted.

"Mommy," Sora complained, curling up into a ball once the covers were no longer in his possessive little hands. "I don't wanna."

Naru simply grinned evilly, "You don't get up now, Mommy's not gonna feed you your pancakes."

The little ball twitched.

"And what a _waste; _Mommy even made sure to put _extra _butter in there with your favorite maple syrup and strawberries!"

"I'M UP!" Like a bolt of the lightning, Sora jumped out of bed and hurried down the stairs where he knew his favorite breakfast awaited him. Laughing to herself, Naru held her stomach and began folding her son's _Star Wars _sheets like a proper, well-mannered mother would.

But Naru was Naru, and anyone who knew Naru would certainly attest to the fact that she was never well-versed in manners.

Frustrated when the sheets appeared to be in an odd shape, Naru simply clumped it together, growling, "Goddamn, motherfucking sheets won't fucking listen to my mother-"

"Mommy!" Sora shouted from below, "You owe me three and a half dollars!"

"Dammit!"

"_Four _and a half!"

Naru smacked her lips together before angrily dumping dollar notes into Sora's third, rapidly filling 'Swear Jar.'

Breakfast with the Uzumakis was a loud, chaotic affair that could only mean that this particular breakfast was indeed with them. No other household was as loud or enthusiastic as the blonde mother and her dark-haired son.

"Get changed, Sora, baby! Grandpa Jiraiya and Granny Tsunade don't like to be kept waiting!" Naru fondly ruffled his hair, giving him a quick peck on his cheek as the little boy stretched on his tippy toes, eagerly placing his dishes into the sink.

Watching her little son run up the stairs, Naru couldn't help but feel the ghost of arms encircling her waist. She closed her eyes, relishing the painful memory.

And as her brief moment of vulnerability passed, Naru forced her façade of infallibility to snap back into place.

* * *

"Jesus Christ, Naru, what have you been doing to my grandson!" Tsunade smacked Naru upside the head as the blonde woman grinned unabashedly. "Look at him! He's even more adorable than he was the last time!"

"The last time being yesterday," Naru laughed. "Just admit it, Granny. Even your Unholy Ice Queen-ness cannot resist my son!"

Sora blearily blinked at both blondes before ducking into his mother's coat. "Mommy, I don't want you to leave."

Naru's heart tightened into a knot. She forced a smile and said, "Mommy will be back in a flash," just like how her own father had once told her.

Tsunade gently picked Sora up from his mom's protective arms. "She'll be back before you know it, buttercup. Now, don't you wanna go wake up your Grandpa Jiraiya?"

"GRANDPA JIRAIYA!" And as simple as that, Uzumaki Sora was once again distracted. The mess of raven-colored hair bounced excitedly as the boy tried to escape his grandma's cage of arms. Tsunade merely laughed and set him down, both grandmother and mother watching as the object of their whole hearts ran up the stairs.

Turning to the younger blonde, Tsunade wrapped Naru in a death-defying hug. "Good luck today, honey."

"Thanks, Granny."

And with that, Naru trudged off, not minding that she was already twenty minutes late for her job.

* * *

Uchiha Sasuke was _not_, under any circumstances, a patient person. Gritting, he checked his phone for the umpteenth time, already hating that she was clearly twenty minutes late – _and still counting!_

"Where's that annoying girlfriend of yours, brother? _Time_ magazinewaits for no one." Uchiha Itachi growled, pissed off and thoroughly irritated with the fact that his brother's girlfriend decided to be late now, at this very moment, when said brother and his girlfriend's faces were about to be imprinted on the front page of the historical magazine.

And Sasuke being the unemotional block of ice that he was, responded, "Hn."

Itachi's palm met his face.

"I am super duper sorry that I am _so _late! My driver got stuck in traffic, so I had to fire him, and then had to find _another _driver last-minute! Oh, Sasuke-kun, please forgive me!" Haruno Sakura cried, bursting into the room with her army of hairstylists and make-up artists marching behind her.

Sasuke cringed.

It wasn't that Sakura was bad – although admittedly, she was – at learning Japanese honorifics. He was just bothered by how she pronounced it. "Sasuke-kun?" she tilted her head to the side, pink hair swaying as she stared at him confusedly, "Sasuke-kun? Are you even listening?"

"Yes, I am."

"Oh! What a relief! Hinata, get me my chair and some chamomile tea – I can't do a photo-shoot without my chamomile tea!" Sakura said, or more aptly put, _ordered_.

Young Hyuuga Hinata, being a freshly graduated university student on an internship, smiled weakly and hurried to meet her boss's demand.

Itachi smacked Sasuke upside his head. "I don't know what you see in her, but whatever it is, it better be good for us to put up with this shit."

Sasuke sighed and turned around, heading towards his personal changing room.

There, in the solace of the empty, quiet space, Sasuke closed his eyes and began reminiscing his better days, where things – although twice as chaotic and frustrating – was indefinitely more enjoyable.

But as every good memory arose, Sasuke couldn't help but shut them down. And with them, so was his heart.

* * *

"Tell me a story, Mommy!" Sora demanded of his tired mother.

Naru smiled, clutching her child closer to her side as she ran her fingers through his dark hair. "Well, what kind of story do you want?"

Sora took a while before answering, "Something romantic!"

"Oh, well, let's see . . ." Naru cleared her throat, "There once was a couple, completely different from each other -"

"This doesn't sound romantic."

"Would you let me finish?!" Naru teased him, ruffling his hair.

Sora huffed and waited impatiently for Naru to continue.

"There once was a couple, completely different from each other. The boy was proud and arrogant; the girl was loud and bubbly. At first, they hated each other. It was the typical hate-turns-into-love situation, where they became best friends before realizing they were falling deeply into love.

"Although the road to being with each other was tough and trying, it was worth it. They'd found their soul-mate within each other, and nothing was ever going to keep them apart. They were him and her.

"The boy and girl grew up to be respectable adults. They were dysfunctional and fought often, but never forgot their undying love with each other. It was always going to be him and her, and they were stubborn, always going against their parent's wishes for them to separate.

"You see, baby boy, the man's parents held too much pride – they wanted their son to be with a woman of class, of name . . . of _respect_. They wanted him to be with a woman whose name was recognized internationally, not one whose name related to fish cake."

" . . . fish cake?"

Naru smiled, haunted, "If said in Japanese, yes. Would you like Mommy to continue?"

"Yes, please!"

"Okay, then. The pair went on to get married, and as the man's parents rejected the woman, they too rejected their son. They disowned him, and the father made sure his son was miserable at work. See, both father and son worked under the same company, the father being the head, and the son being the next in line for the throne.

"And the man wanted that so much – _power_. He wanted power, baby boy. It was the only thing that rivaled his love for the woman. His father made sure he spent every waking moment at the office, he made sure that every single minute he had was spent working. He made sure the man no longer had time for the woman.

"The woman, left alone, could only wait at home with a cold dinner. Every night, she prayed to God that he'd bring him back, that he'd come in saying, 'I'm home,' but he never did. Days turned into weeks, weeks turned into months, and the woman no longer saw the man except for a few times.

"But that was okay. As long as he was fine, as long as he was alright, she would be as well, because they were him and her. One day, the man came back home, finally on time. The woman was absolutely pleased! She'd missed him terribly, and that night was _their _night, the very first night that they got together.

"Instead of a present . . . they got into a fight. This was the beginning of their end. Now, every moment the man spent at home was spent yelling and screaming, throwing things as the woman fought back equally hard, shrieking about how he no longer cared about her.

"Eventually, they decided to end it. You see, baby, they were doomed from the start. They were surrounded by a cloud of deception. In the end, there could only be him . . . and there could only be her." Naru finished her tale.

"That's . . . not . . . a romantic . . . story . . ." Sora struggled to finish his sentence as he drifted into his own dream world.

Naru stared up into the dark ceiling, her heart breaking as she whispered, "No, it's not, sweetheart. It's not."

* * *

_A/N: I hope whoever's reading this would stick around and leave a review! I really, really like the plot I have for this story, and I really wish it won't go to waste. Anyway, it's my first time writing, so please tell me if I completely suck and need to rewrite this, or if I'm doing a pretty good job (if you do that, I'll make sure Naruto glomps you in your dreams *smiles*). _

_With that said, I strongly encouraged anyone who's reading this to leave a review! Reviews equals encouragement, and with encouragement comes a next chapter. So please, please, PLEASE, (I'm shameless, honestly, I am) leave a review! :) _

_Ja! _

_-Aron_


	2. Chapter 2

**All Of Me: A Naruto Fanfiction**

**DISCALIMER: No. Just no.**

* * *

**Chapter 2: Three Years Too Long**

Naru stretched, hearing the worrisome _crack _of her backbone straightening. "Well, boss, is it good enough?" She grumbled, wiping her chin on the sleeve of her shirt.

Umino Iruka stared at the mural, his beady eyes never leaving the colorful wall, on the lookout for any particular mistake. When he found none, he sighed and slapped Naru's back proudly. "Well done, Naru. I approve."

Blushing, the blonde chuckled heartily before picking up her numerous palettes and brushes. She nudged Hyuuga Neji as she passed him, playfully giving him a cross-eyed expression just to enlighten the holier-than-thou man.

"Ino, you still set on coming over tonight?" she called out to her best friend with hair just a shade paler than hers. A brush hanging off her right ear, the platinum blonde woman grinned, nodding. She gestured to Naru to help her finish her side of the mural.

With a small smile, Naru dropped her materials and stumbled over to where Ino stood on top of a chair, coloring her side of the wall with darker colors. "You'd think whoever owned this kindergarten would want a more colorful mural," Ino complained as Naru herself stood on her toes, helping Ino out with the harsher colors that called for attention.

"Well, this_ is_ a kindergarten; no one's gonna ask around anyway." She gently nudged Ino.

"Ugh, I swear, I'm so sick of doing this job. We're _artists _for crying out loud!"

"Which makes us glorified mural painters." Naru laughed. "Besides, the pay is pretty good."

"The pay's good for _you, _Naru, because you're so goddamned good at this-"

Iruka stood behind both women, startling them as he growled, "Less talk, more painting!"

"Oh, fuck off, boss!" And Iruka was met with the fury of two tired, artistically repressed women.

* * *

"Uncle Neji, ketchup!" Sora demanded of the long-haired, pale-eyed artist who unfortunately happened to be dragged into this poor excuse of a dinner night at this failure of a diner.

He was about to rudely ignore the innocent little boy when he felt a death glare pinpointed straight at him. Naru laughed at Neji's petrified face when Iruka glared disdainfully at the other man, silently warning him, _"If you ever make this sweet little boy cry, I will feed your balls to my dog as his breakfast."_

So with terror and resignation, Neji passed the bottle of ketchup to Sora, who happily squirted the red liquid out right at him. Flinching, he shuddered at the loud guffaws that erupted around the table as curious onlookers – consisting of Iruka and Ino – watched the unprecedented interaction between the group's self-proclaimed asshole and Naru's adorable baby boy.

"I hope none of your artworks get showcased," Neji spat bitterly.

"Oh, boo-hoo, Hyuuga, you know you don't mean it." Naru stuck out her tongue at him, the action very much reminding him of her son, who ignored everybody and everything but his fried chicken.

"So, baby, how was Granny Tsunade and Grandpa Jiraiya today?" Naru asked, wiping her son's ketchup-covered chinny-chin-chin. Tsunade and Jiraiya had made a special exception to drop Sora off at Naru's current workplace in a kindergarten that was being renovated. The two had been uncharacteristically quiet, and Naru was left to ponder the sudden frostiness between them.

Sora blinked. "Granny beat Grandpa again when she caught him reading to me one of his books."

Naru froze, and so did the rest of the table's occupants; they too, like Naru, knew that Jiraiya was a world-renowned adult fiction writer.

" . . . he did _what_ now?" Naru's voice was like the calm before the approaching storm. Everyone was quiet, nervously fiddling with their tableware.

"He read to me, Mommy! Like how you read me stories at night!"

"Ino," she turned to her friend, "remind me that the next time I see Jiraiya, I'm gonna-"

"Whoa, sir, could you turn up the volume?" A female customer from the table opposite Naru's yelled at a slacking waiter. "It's Uchiha Sasuke, onscreen!"

Immediately, the waiter straightened up and hurried to the counter. The volume of the decrepit TV drastically increased, the narrator being a female newscaster from a local news-station calmly reported, _"Uchiha Industries have once again made history today when they successfully completed a new nuclear missile entitled, the Kyuubi. US President Barack Obama has officially stated that the Kyuubi marks a new beginning in America's defense and offense system."_

Loud cheers erupted around the diner, and all Naru could do was to simply hold her son tighter to her chest. Ino grabbed hold of Naru's trembling knees and stilled them, while Neji simply laid back and watched impassively at the blonde woman seated in front of him. Iruka bit his lip hard, tasting the metallic taste of blood as he watched his employee struggle to maintain her composure.

"_Time magazine has named both brothers, as well as Uchiha Sasuke's fiancée, two-time Academy award winner Haruno Sakura, one of the most influential people of this decade with Uchiha Industries dominating the business and weapons industry. Now, with Uchiha Sasuke helming this massive company, the world wonders what other tricks the Uchiha brothers have up their sleeves. Stay tuned to watch an interview with Uchiha Itachi." _

"That Sasuke's pretty much like a god."

"I wonder why Itachi decided to quit as president, though."

"I heard it's because of his sexuality."

"Either way, Sasuke's a lucky bastard dating Haruno Sakura."

Naru abruptly stood, having had enough. "Come on, baby. Let's go home."

"But I haven't had my dessert yet, Mommy!"

She smiled gently, caressing Sora's pouting face. "Mommy will make you some hot chocolate before you go to bed, does that sound good?"

The little boy gasped his approval, putting out his arms and implying that he wanted to be carried.

"I'll take care of it," Neji murmured to Naru.

She laid her hand against his strong back, muttering, "Thank you."

Neji dumped a wad of notes onto the table and swiftly picked up a squealing Sora into his capable arms. Naru watched them, her eyes hollow and filled with sadness. For an instant, she wondered what it would be like if it wasn't Neji who was carrying her son out the diner's door.

What if–

_No, _a voice whispered in her head, _enough_.

And just like that, Naru shut away the sudden grief and wonder.

* * *

"That was a nice dinner," Ino yawned, curling up against Naru in the latter's sofa in front of her home's fireplace. Neji and Iruka were long gone, and Ino being Naru's only best friend decided to stay behind. Sora was fast asleep in his room, wrapped in his _Star Wars _duvet, dreaming of happy things.

Naru sighed, "It was."

"Naru . . ." Ino knew she was treading through dangerous waters.

"It's stupid, isn't it, Ino? The way I'm never going to get myself out of this . . . this . . . stupid, _stupid _cycle." _I'm always going to love him, aren't I? _

"Sweetie-"

"No, Ino, I just . . . we can't help who we love, can't we? But my relationship with him . . . it was toxic. It wasn't normal. It wasn't right. And out of all the things I regret, I'll never forgive myself for not listening to my own intuition warning me against _him_."

Ino could only stare helplessly at her friend, watching as she spoke emotionlessly.

Naru was quiet, listening to the steady beating of her sure heart. "And besides, I'm happy now. I have you, Neji, Iruka . . . my _son_. There's nothing else in the world that I'll ever need."

_Except him_, Ino thought, remembering the times when she'd had to comfort her lovesick, heartbroken friend. Tears welled up in Ino's eyes as another thought passed. _But this time, I'm never going to let him hurt you like he once did. This time I'm going to protect you._

* * *

Sasuke sighed as Sakura kissed a heated trail from his jaw, down his collarbone, stopping just for awhile at his stomach as she un-tucked his dress shirt. He could feel her grin as she unhurriedly unzipped his crisp business pants. "Hurry up," he panted, almost blinded with lust.

Sakura shushed him with a flick of her tongue against his navel. "All good things come to those who wait, my love."

"SASUKE!" A loud banging against his office door sounded. Sasuke groaned, feeling his head lolling to the side.

But Sakura was persistent, and continued her ministrations.

"Uchiha Sasuke, I swear to motherfucking god this is fucking important!" Itachi yelled, clearly on the verge of breaking down his door. The raven-haired man cussed, pushing his fiancée aside as he pulled his pants over a raging hard-on. "Sasuke, I'm going to count to-"

He threw the door open, insane fury clouding his face as he spat, "What do you want, aniki?!"

"Meeting in the board room, now," was all he got.

Slipping his poker face back on, Sasuke stalked past Itachi and stormed into the board room with an aura of pure hatred. He scowled when he realized that most of the board members weren't even seated yet. "What is it now, Itachi? What could possibly be so important that you had to disturb me? I'm a very busy man."

"Busy like fucking that little whore of yours?"

"Fuck you-"

"Hey, I'm sure Itachi-nii didn't mean it," Sakura grinned, unabashedly wiping the corner of her mouth with a tissue.

"_Who _said she was allowed in here?!" Itachi grabbed Sasuke's collar, glaring holes into his eyes and hoping that somehow, one way or another, his little brother would open up his eyes and see the true colors of his fiancée.

Sasuke scoffed, "Hn."

Hatake Kakashi, the head of security in Uchiha Industries, entered the room, a manila file in his hands. His silver-colored hair stood proudly above the crown of his head, only being weighed down by his not-so-discreet mask that covered most of his face and emotions. The man wore a simple button down shirt and blue jeans, but his stance was clearly meant for business.

He sat, gesturing towards Sasuke and the other patrons of the room to follow suit.

In his deep baritone, he simply said, "Along with the creation of the Kyuubi missile, my team and I have noticed an increase in the breaching of UI's properties across Europe, America and Asia. Our theory is that whoever wants the missile clearly wants it enough to mess with the world's most successful company.

"As a result, my team and I have decided to up security in every sector of UI's premises . . . and we have also deduced that, due to the completion of the Kyuubi, your loved ones' life may be put to risk as well."

Sasuke and Itachi nodded for Kakashi to continue.

"And, because we're hired specifically to protect UI's ideologies, weapons and other miscellaneous things, we have also decided that a forced leave on the two of you would be most advisable."

"No." Sasuke immediately contradicted.

Itachi stared at Kakashi. "By loved ones . . . who do you refer to, exactly?"

And Sasuke froze, suddenly hoping and praying that his brother wasn't thinking what he thought he was thinking. His heart began beating rapidly, and he found that no matter how hard he tried to crush blocked memories down, he just couldn't forget _her_.

Sakura's arm around his stiff shoulders suddenly felt so foreign.

"Your family, of course," Kakashi opened his envelope, "Fugaku, Mikoto, your boyfriend Deidara, Sakura . . . and a woman named Uzumaki Naruto."

* * *

Dawn was barely breaking over the Uzumaki household when the door-bell sounded through the sleep-laden house. Naru groaned, shifting over to her side and curling up against the ball of warmth that was Ino. The bell rang again, and Naru sighed before rising, ready to bite whoever's head was at the door.

Dressed in an oversized shirt and sweatpants, Naru opened her front door, the beginning of an insult standing ready at the tip of her tongue.

But as she stared at the curious figure that stood before her, she could only blink once. Then she blinked twice. Then she blinked once more for good measure.

"Hello, Naruto." Hatake Kakashi greeted cheerily, lewdly eyeing the gorgeous blonde wearing skimpy clothing. Of course, there was nothing skimpy about decades-old shirt and pants but somehow, Kakashi was starting to see exactly how the Uchiha brothers knew this woman.

Naru tilted her head to the side, already distrusting Kakashi. "Can I help you, sir?"

"You have to come with me, ma'am," he nodded, stepping aside so she could walk pass him.

"What do you think I am? Chopped liver? Hell, no. Why don't you tell me who you are and what you want with me first? Wait, you're not another one of Tsunade's _friends_ are you? No, crap, you're the dude who collects taxes! Shit, I swear, I was going to pay them eventually. I just didn't have time or money-"

"Rest assured, Ms. Uzumaki, I am neither-"

"Oh, thank god."

"But I do need you to follow me regarding . . ." Kakashi slid closer, "_personal _matters." He then tilted his head to the ceiling, where an unknowing little boy laid sleeping in his bed on the floor directly above them. Naru gritted her teeth, exhaustion kicking into adrenalin.

Anyone who saw Naru in that particular moment would have fallen over in shock.

Her cerulean blue eyes, usually bright with cheer and laughter, had turned into one of the iciest blue anyone, anywhere would have seen. Kakashi himself flinched from the raw emotion that Naru portrayed simply by her eyes alone. "You hurt him, you die."

Her words were simple but calculated and meant.

Kakashi was now truly confused. "I take it you haven't told Mr. Uchiha about him?"

"Why should I? Why would I? I would never endanger my child in that way. He's _mine_, not his."

"Unless you can reproduce asexually, ma'am, I highly-"

"_Don't _you even _dare _joke about this," Naru hissed. "What does he want with me?"

"You are aware we're talking about Uchiha Sasuke, aren't you?"

"_Yes, _and if you don't get straight to the point, I'll make sure some other part of yours won't ever point again."

Kakashi instinctively covered his groin. "Fair point well made, Ms. Uzumaki. Perhaps we'll explain everything in context once you follow me. I don't think this is a safe environment to have such matters discussed in public."

Naru shook her head stubbornly. "I'm not leaving until you tell me what's going on."

Kakashi sighed.

Naru leaned her weight against her right leg, hands on her hips as she stared off with the strange man in a strange mask.

"The Uchiha's and their respective loved ones are in danger. The creation of the Kyuubi has acquired them unwanted attention. I'm here to send you and your son to the airport, where the little Uchiha's private plan awaits. You two, along with the Uchiha brothers and their lovers will be staying at their island in the Caribbean while my team and I . . . _eradicate _the danger. All this, of course, is compulsory." Kakashi finished. His voice sounded strained; he wasn't used to speaking so much.

It took a second for Naru to realize that the stranger hadn't said _his _name once. "No," she violently disagreed. "We're not going anywhere."

"Naru?" Ino called from behind her. "What's going on? Who's this dude?"

"I don't know, but he wants me to follow him."

A car beeped its horn from the Uzumaki driveway. Neji and Iruka got out of the car, both men immediately judging the unwelcomed intruder who stood too close to Naru for comfort.

_Protective_, Kakashi thought. _That's good. At least she still has a few people concerned for her_.

"Naru-"

"Listen, Ms. Uzumaki," Kakashi checked his watch, "you don't have much time to decide. It's either you have five minutes to pack and I civilly walk you to the car, or I drag you out of here by your hair. Your son wouldn't appreciate that look now, won't he?"

"Who do you think-" Neji snapped before being halted by Naru.

"I'm _not _going. No one is. I don't care."

"What about your son? Whoever's after them might have some knowledge about the two of you. I have to say, you've done a remarkable job covering your tracks, but even the best puppet-master has his flaws." Kakashi had no choice; he had to guilt the blonde woman into coming.

"My son . . . ?" Naru trailed off, blonde eyebrows etching into one.

Neji, Iruka and Ino could only stand beside their beloved friend, confused and wondering what the hell was going on. They glanced at each other, unsure of what their friend would decide.

Skeptical of the strange man's sudden apperance and story, Naru questioned, "How can I be sure you're telling the truth and not just tricking me?"

"Why don't all of you come with me then, and decide for yourself?"

"I don't trust you." Neji said bluntly, causing Naru to let out a muffled chuckle.

"I've called Yamato," Iruka provided, "he's a cop, and he's coming over to verify your story. In fact, two other _friends _of ours are coming as well." He refused to tell the masked man that the two other friends were private investigators linked to the Uchiha Industries' well-known security personnel.

Naru's mind was in a chaotic mess. She was on the verge of breaking down. All she knew now, beyond every single doubt she had, was that she had to make sure her baby boy was safe. Running back inside her house and ignoring her friends' cries, she rushed up the stairs to check on Sora.

He was like an angel, wrapped in his favorite quilt and smiling away at the delightful dreams he had. Naru's tightened heart relaxed at the peaceful sight. She was relieved that he was still there. She blinked past her convoluted emotions and walked slowly to where Sora laid.

"Baby boy," she whispered, voice breaking and torn, "what do you think Mommy should do?"

* * *

Sasuke was vengeful.

_What is taking Kakashi so goddamn long?! _

"Sasuke-kun, relax! We're going on a vacation, so you have to relax!" Sakura's useless advice whistled past his ears.

His phone suddenly vibrated against his thigh, and in his mad rush to pick up the call, Sasuke spilt his glass of white wine on his new cream-colored dress shirt. "Fuck," he cursed.

_I've never seen him so flustered before, _Sakura mused. She didn't mind – she'd been given a solid one month that she could spend with her beloved fiancée. No paparazzi, no crazy fans, award shows . . . no _work._ Perhaps it was the thought of him spending so much time with her – he wasn't used to seeing her often – that caused him to act like a pubescent boy on his first date.

She giggled. _Yes, that must be it! He's nervous! Aw, it's so adorable!_

"Yes, hello?" Sasuke all but yelled into his phone.

"_Fly off first," _Kakashi said, _"Ms. Uzumaki and her, ah, _family _would like to take the long way there." _

"What the fuck do you mean?!"

"_It means, dickwad,_" Another man's voice growled menacingly into Sasuke's ears, _"that we're taking economy, and there's no way you're gonna stop us. So fuck off and-"_

"Why don't _you _fuck-"

"_Sorry about that, Sasuke," _this voice . . . it was familiar . . . "_Ino here. We'll be taking economy; _she_ insisted we did. We've already got tickets and everything. We're sorry for holding you up-"_

The same man from before interrupted Ino, _"No, we're not!"_

" _. . . no, we're not," _Ino suddenly hissed, a silent warning in her words. This time, Sasuke frowned. Who were these people? The name Ino sounded so familiar, and yet he couldn't place it.

The next voice that he heard halted Sasuke's frantic movements as well as palpitations. _"We'll see you soon._"

And the line went dead.

* * *

_A/N: If you're confused, don't worry, it's meant to be that way. _

_Just a few things to highlight:_

_Sasuke's job: He's the President of Uchiha Industries, a company specializing in the business and weapons industry. Think of Tony Stark and Stark Industries in Iron Man; Sasuke and Itachi's job is exactly like that. Itachi was the former president, but resigned. An explanation for that will be revealed later. _

_Naruto's job: Yes, she's an artist. More elaboration on that in the future. _

_Pairings: It may seem like a nejinaru for now, but don't worry, it'll soon be sasunaru. Neji is just a close friend, like a brother. And yes, he will be related to Hinata, but further explanation will be given in the upcoming chapters. I'm still thinking if I should add in kakairu in, but maybe it's way too much. Please don't worry about pairings for now, IT WILL BE SASUNARU EVENTUALLY. Let the angst settle in first. :) _

_In case you're still confused, let me sum up who's going with Sasuke and Itachi to the island from their side: Sakura and Deidara  
Naru, on the other hand: Ino, Neji, Iruka, Yamato (and the two other PIs, I'll reveal who they are in future chapters) _

_If you have any questions - anything at all - please feel free to PM me. :) _

_Lastly, reviews will be appreciated. Come on, people, show me a little love (like I said, I'm shameless). Thanks for reading!_

_Ja!_

_-Aron_


	3. Chapter 3

**All Of Me: A Naruto Fanfiction**

**Disclaimer: Okay, joke's over. Nope, I don't own Naruto. Never have, never will. And boy, does that suck royally.**

* * *

**Chapter 3: It All Begins**

Sora was an unhappy little boy.

His entire body, from the tip of his head all the way down to his toes, felt as warm as a hot summer night. Cold sweat covered every surface of his skin, and the young child could only wail at the uncomfortable feeling.

He clung onto his mommy, clearly upset with his predicament and in dire need of a solution to it.

Naru, on the other hand, was one exhausted mother.

Her little boy didn't take well to being in an almost twenty-four hour flight, with two five hour layovers that exasperated the young mother herself. Her sweet, usually compliant baby boy was running a fever and no amount of children medicine seemed to be curing the poor boy's sickness.

Naru wanted to scream so badly.

Instead, she clutched her screaming baby and sent apologetic looks to the people who sat near her. They retaliated with glares of disdain and arrogance, clearly bemused by Sora's constant crying.

"Shh," Naru hushed her screaming son, "Mommy's here. Don't cry. Please, baby boy." She rubbed his back gently, feeling the unnatural heat emanating from him as she nuzzled his tear-stained cheek.

"Mommy, I feel icky!"

"I know, sweetie. Come on, swallow some more syrup and I promise you'll feel better."

"Mommy, I don't wanna!" Sora huffed, taking his tantrums up a notch by kicking Naru in her stomach.

Neji, having had enough of Sora's abuse of his own mother, calmly told the boy, "Sora, you're hurting your mother. Enough." And it wasn't the words that Neji had used that cause Sora to halt all movements; it was his tone – the way he spoke – that immediately laid guilt on the once-crying child.

"You didn't have to do that, Neji," Naru reprimanded.

The pale-eyed man could only scoff a response, turning his entire body away from Naru.

She sighed and leaned her head against the hard cushion of her seat. Sora, for the moment, was placated and snuggled into his mother's chest. "I'm sorry, Mommy," he murmured in a small voice, filled with shame.

Naru ran her fingers through his soft, raven-colored hair. "It's alright, baby. Try to get some sleep now, okay?"

As soon as Sora succumbed to a deep slumber, Neji immediately took the opportunity to convey his thoughts. "You're spoiling him, Naru. It's gonna fuck you over in the long run."

"I-"

"Look, I know you just want to be a good mother but you've got to exercise a little bit of discipline in him. Not too much, just a little. Every little boy needs to be told off once in a while or they'll end up worse than-" Neji cut himself off, pale lavender eyes widening just as he stopped himself from saying the name he vowed never to speak of again.

" . . . you're right. I guess I just didn't want him to hate me . . . like how _he _did." And Naru's voice was hollow, devoid of emotions.

Neji didn't know how to respond to that.

Ino, having heard all their conversation, shot Iruka an alarmed look and reached in front of her to gently tap Naru's shoulder. "It's going to be fine, Naru. We won't let that son of a bitch hurt you."

"No, no, it's fine. What I need you guys to do . . . what I really think is more important is that he doesn't hurt Sora." She held her now sleeping little boy even tighter in her arms.

There were few disgruntled grunts before they agreed.

"But Naru," Neji, ever the wisest of them all, said, "play with fire, and you'll get burnt."

_Oh, I'm playing with fire, alright . . . and I'm already being burned, _Naru's conscience thought for her.

And all the tired mother could do was to simply gaze down at her little boy. "I'll do anything, baby, to protect you . . . I'll do what _he _couldn't."

"Worry not, Naru! Captain Yamato, Gaara and I will youthfully protect _all _of you! No harm shall ever come to any of you! It is within our youthful –" Rock Lee, a spirited young man cum private investigator, began to exclaim when his fellow investigator, Sabaku no Gaara, effectively clamped his mouth shut with a pale hand.

He stared impassively at him, "Shut up."

Everyone released a sigh of relief; they'd been putting up with the insane, completely ballistic man who wore a tacky green jumpsuit. Naru had questioned him at first, dubious of the man's strange behavior. And since Naru was Naru, it was worrisome when someone was even weirder than her.

She didn't mind the redhead, though. She thought he looked a little too gothic, what with his pale skin contrasting against his thick, eyeliner-coated emerald eyes that freaked her out so badly she had to grab Neji and shield herself away from those scary eyes.

"Well, glad to know we'll be having some interesting company while we're there," Tenzou Yamato said, leaning back so he could talk to the peculiar blonde mother sitting behind him.

Neji raised a carefully plucked eyebrow.

Ino simply stared unabashedly at the brown-haired man with a strong jaw and, despite a questionable gray mask that covered the sides of his face, had gorgeous eyes that sent chills down her spine.

In other words, she'd already called dibs on the unsuspecting police officer.

Naru grinned at the dopey look on Ino's face before answering Yamato. "At least we'll be entertained."

"Shut up, Naru, we gotta deal with two of you now." Iruka added his two cents in.

Iruka's face was subsequently met with a tanned hand, the chorus of multiple laughs ringing throughout the plane as the group caused much chaos that unsurprisingly woke a grumpy little monster-toddler-baby that was cradled in Naru's lap.

The passengers on the plane would forever remember the group of seven adults' groveling as they tried to console a wailing little boy.

* * *

"Sasuke-kun, come on in! The water's perfect!" Sakura called out to an unwilling raven-haired man.

He raised an eyebrow at her antics, watching as she huffed when he didn't give her the attention she wanted. And so, with challenging eyes, Haruno Sakura smirked – a perfect replica of Sasuke's trademark smirk – and took off her bikini top.

His eyes wide, he watched as the pink-haired woman walked sleazily up to him. "What's gotten into you today, Sasuke-kun? Why're you so quiet all of a sudden?"

He didn't want to tell her the reason why his heart all of a sudden felt as though a herd of buffaloes were stampeding across it. He didn't want to explain why he felt nauseous, an odd wave of vertigo threatening to overwhelm his senses. He didn't want to tell his pink-haired fiancée that the woman . . . the woman who was once the love of his life . . . was coming to stay with them for an unknown number of weeks.

Sasuke simply didn't want to tell Sakura that he may or may not rip the ring he'd given her from her slim fingers and throw it into the ocean once he sees _Uzumaki Naruto_.

And Itachi, watching as Sasuke wrapped his arms around the topless actress and began kissing her as if he was a dying man who needed oxygen, felt immediate disgust.

"What's wrong, hun?" Deidara, his lover, asked as he handed the older Uchiha a specially mixed brew of liquor.

" . . . I am thoroughly repulsed," was all Itachi gave in response, turning away from the repugnant sight of his brother frolicking with his fiancée in the hot sand, amidst the scenic ocean that just seemed so, _so _wrong for the events that Itachi had a strong feeling would occur.

* * *

"No, no, no," Iruka tried again, "you help _us _go to this _island_."

They were currently stuck in Barcelona, none of them being able to speak the native language, with a completely confused boatman scratching his head at the large group of foreigners standing on a jetty overlooking the Caribbean Sea, surrounded by multiple luxurious ferries and speed-boats.

"Ah?" he gave them a perplexed expression.

Naru groaned aloud for the _n_th time, her face dropping into her waiting hand. "Let me try," she pushed the agitated Iruka aside and looked into the boatman's incomprehensive eyes. "Uchiha Island, where?"

And all the boatman could do was to simply frown at her.

She threw her hands up into the air, finally giving up. Then, she whipped out her decrepit cell-phone and barked at a bored Gaara to dial his superior's number, since apparently the redhead and the overly enthusiastic jumpsuit-wearing man were Kakashi's subordinates. The Hatake had left them at the airport back in the States, without any form of goodbye except a pat on Naru's back.

They stood with bated breath, waiting for the sign when he'd pick up.

A few seconds later, Gaara wordlessly handed Naru his phone.

"Well, Sabaku, this is a first. Lee's usually the one bothering me. What's wrong?" Kakashi murmured.

"Yeah, hi, Kakashi," Naru grunted, "we're kinda maybe sorta stuck in Barcelona. The boat man you tried to link us through? Well, dumbass, he can't speak English and he has no goddamn idea of where to-"

"How does he look like?"

"Um . . . short, kinda pudgy, has this weird scruff and is wearing a white polo-tee with khaki shorts."

"Now, Naru, take a deep breath," Kakashi advised, clearly humored by the blonde's little predicament. "That is not your man."

"OH FOR FUCK'S SAKE, KAKASHI, I'M GOING TO-" Naru screamed into the phone just as a small hand tugged on her leg.

Sora grinned toothily at his mother. "Mommy, you owe me three bucks now!"

Kakashi's hearty laugh echoed in her ears as she grudgingly paid her son the money. "Lesson learnt, baby," she told her son seriously, "a potty mouth equals heavy pockets for this crazy little boy." Then she kissed Sora on the head and stood up straight.

Naru sighed, "If he isn't our man, then who is?"

"Turn around."

And hell hath no fury like Uzumaki Naruto scorned.

Sora was exactly one hundred and eighty two dollars richer half an hour later.

Iruka, Ino, Neji, Yamato and Lee were already setting aside dates to see a psychiatrist.

Gaara simply stared at the blonde.

And Kakashi?

Needless to say, the silver-haired man's ears were still ringing and his entire body ached from Naru's brutality. _For a small girl, holy shit can she pack a goddamn punch! _He thought to himself.

* * *

"Baby?" Naru murmured, holding her son's hand tighter in hers. "Remember what I said earlier on the plane?"

"That we're gonna go meet my Daddy?"

Naru closed her eyes, "Yes, baby. And what did Mommy tell you?"

"That my Daddy isn't going to be treating me like you do?" Sora blinked innocently at Naru.

A lump formed in her throat.

She forced herself to swallow it. "Yes, sunshine . . ."

"I don't care, Mommy," the young boy smiled cheerily. "I don't care if he's my Daddy. He's not _my _Daddy like you're _my _Mommy."

And as the two sailed across the clear water of the Caribbean Sea, all Naru could think was how grateful she was her son wasn't anything like _him_.

* * *

"Where are they?" Sasuke hissed, his patience long past gone. "They were supposed to be here ages ago!"

"They took economy, otouto, and it takes at least half a day on boat to get here. They are bound to take an exceedingly long time." Itachi reasoned against his little brother.

The younger Uchiha merely grunted in reply and went off in search of his fiancée on the second floor's infinity pool.

Uchiha Island was located smacked right in the middle of the Caribbean Sea. No one had discovered it until the late 1990s, when Uchiha Fugaku first bought the island as a place to escape public eyes with his wife.

It was then passed on to the two brothers, both having an equal share. And although Itachi hated to admit it, his little brother clearly seemed to be more acquainted with this little plot of land than he himself was.

Clearly, Uchiha Sasuke owned this island, amidst many other things.

And Itachi resented that.

The distant churning of a boat sounded in Itachi's ears, interrupting his dangerous thoughts. _She's here . . . _he thought to himself, _she's finally here. _

Itachi stood on the dock, watching as their Head of Security personally assisted a group of people whom he had never seen nor heard of before.

His concern wasn't with them, though. He wanted to see _her_. He wanted to see the blonde woman whom he considered as his sister.

And finally, _finally_, she stepped onto the dock uneasily, a little boy wiggling about in her arms. She glanced around, her expression expectant until she rested her cerulean gaze on Itachi. With a brilliant grin splitting across her face, those cerulean eyes brightened, immediately warming Itachi's cold persona.

She squealed, "Oh my god, Itachi-niisan!"

Sprinting, Naru jumped into the older Uchiha's arms.

Itachi laughed like he'd never laugh before, feeling complete and whole again. "Naru," he whispered her name, kissing her wild blonde hair that matched her personality so accurately. He held her close to him. Years of concern and worry over the blonde woman faded away as he inhaled her scent.

In the end, she would always be the one person who he trusted other than Deidara.

"Mommy, ugh," Sora complained, having difficulty breathing being squished between the recently reacquainted two.

Itachi released Naru, bending down to meet the little boy's familiar obsidian black eyes.

He glanced up to meet Naru's protective gaze. Her eyes darkened, silently warning him that he was in dangerous waters. Clearing his throat, Itachi met the questioning stare of the little boy. "And who is this midget we have here?"

"I'm not a midget!" Sora proclaimed. "I'm gonna be tall, and I'm gonna be taller than you are!"

_Just like her_, he mused.

"Are you?"

"Yes, I am!"

And somehow, Itachi began to piece the complicated puzzle Uzumaki Naruto had left behind to solve.

* * *

A knock on their bedroom door interrupted Sasuke and Sakura's frantic romping.

"They're here." Itachi's voice carried through the door like a deathly whisper.

They heard footsteps as Itachi walked away and the muffled flurry of voices sounded up the stairs. Sasuke could distinguish Kakashi's voice amongst many others. But where was she? Why wasn't she-

A wild, almost breathless laugh erupted then, and Sasuke could feel his bottled emotions clawing at his chest, aching to get out and run into the arms of the woman whose laugh he was so familiar with.

Years ago, he'd hear that laugh every single day of every single month . . . of every single year.

"Ignore them, babe," Sakura murmured, biting his ear and encouraging him to move.

Sasuke's eyes narrowed, aware of how close to the edge his thoughts were. He throttled any and every thought he had then, focusing on pleasing his fiancée.

After all, he was with her now.

And that was for the best.

* * *

"Oh, my god, can you _stop!_" Naru laughed heartily as Ino daringly proclaimed her love for a flustered Yamato.

"We're gonna have babies, like, lots of 'em. We're gonna fuck," at this, Naru promptly tightened her hands over Sora's ears, "and we're gonna fuck _a lot_. You and me, we're gonna last. I'll give you two minutes and we'll elope. Don't even bother bringing a tux to the wedding – I'll just rip it off you later. Naru will be my bridesmaid and Neji will be your best man. Let's go get married!"

She then blinked at the group before grinning maniacally. She nudged Yamato's side. "I'm just kidding, dude. You're hot, but I'm hotter. So you're gonna have to do all the work."

With that said, Ino sassily turned away and ordered Itachi to show her the room she'd be sleeping in temporarily. Chuckling, he gestured for the rest to follow him in a guided tour around the enormous mansion.

After finally settling in a bedroom larger than her house, Naru gathered an excited Sora in her arms. "I can't wait, Mommy! I can't wait to see the beach! It's so pretty, Mommy-"

"How about tomorrow, baby? It's late, and I'd rather you save your energy now so you can play more." Naru ruffled Sora's dark hair.

"Okay, Mommy!" He enthused, adorable dimples showing.

The hours passed quickly as the group resettled and took their time to rid themselves of a sickly jet lag. Sora, newly recovered from his fever, fell asleep quickly as Naru told him a tale of dragons and dungeons, queens and kings. He dreamt he was a knight that night, and he was saving his captive mommy from a livid dragon.

Naru hobbled her way downstairs as soon as she was sure he'd stay asleep.

Curling up in front of the fireplace she'd seen in the mansion's living room, she expertly lighted a fire, feeling the warmth of its flames resonate throughout the entire room. There, she sat, staring into the red and orange colors of the fire.

"_Why can't you see I'm doing everything I can to save us, to help us?" _

"_There is NO 'saving,' Naru! There's only wreckage! _You're _wrecking us!" _

"_What do you mean?! At least I'm not the one who can't even remember his wife's fucking birthday!" _

_Glass shattered against concrete walls. _

"You keep a wonderful mask." Naru gasped, whirling around towards the deep voice.

Itachi stood over her, grinning a little at her baffled expression. "What're you doing here, Itachi-niisan? Shouldn't you be resting? It's late!"

"Oh, Naru," he sighed, sitting beside her, "how I've missed you."

She laughed, leaning against his side. "I've missed you too."

The silence was comfortable between the two, Naru being accustomed to the silence that held unspoken words, and Itachi simply enjoying the presence of the blonde.

Her ears, however, alerted her to the fact that another person would be joining them soon.

A long, blonde-haired man sat on the other side of Naru. "Hi! I'm Deidara, Itachi's boyfriend. Who are you and are you a witch?"

"I'm Naru and yes, I am a witch. I put all witches to shame."

"Good. That explains Itachi's strange behavior!"

Scowling Itachi grumbled. "Right here, hello? I'm still alive."

"Well, holy shit," Deidara's blue eyes widened, "you actually got him to take a joke!"

"It takes practice, my fellow blonde, _practice!_" Naru laughed, throwing an arm around the other blonde's shoulders as the two nearly vibrated with their suppressed laughter.

Back and forth, they bantered, Itachi sometimes adding his opinions.

And minutes later, Itachi ignored his little brother sitting on the staircase, clutching his chest as he watched the blonde woman merrily laugh the night away, her strong façade clearly in place.

* * *

The mouth-watering scent of pancakes, coffee and tea woke Sasuke the next morning. The bed was empty, and cold sheets surrounded his chilly body. He shivered before sitting up.

He glanced at the desolate room.

Voices floated up the stairs, a mixture of jokes and insults were traded between individuals as they enjoyed a breakfast together.

Sasuke had forgotten how that sounded like – conversations over breakfasts. He forgot how vital they were to start one's morning.

He shook his head, sighing as he reached over to pull on a dark shirt.

Finishing his morning ritual, he headed downstairs to face whatever circumstance was awaiting him. He could clearly remember her laughing face from the night before as he hid in the shadows, torturing himself by the fact of how close he was to her and yet equally as far. He remembered how he burned with the need to pick her up and kissed her, claim her, make her his once more.

But he couldn't and he wouldn't.

Sasuke nearly crumbled as he came to a stop behind the wall covering the kitchen. She was _right there_. A few meters away, there was the beautiful blonde who used to belong to him . . . his _ex_-wife.

He could hear her laughter, and he closed his eyes, letting it rush over him like a stream over pebbles. It calmed him, excited him – it made him _feel _again.

And everything was right in that moment.

But everything was wrong as well.

He opened his eyes, readying himself for the hell he was about to put himself through.

"And then I was like-" Naru had been saying when she cut herself off, her happy blue gaze coming to a rest on the newcomer in the kitchen. She froze, a deer facing headlights as she came face to face for the first time with the man she thought she'd never see anymore.

There was a drop of temperature in the atmosphere.

Everyone stilled. Anticipation and tension thickened as former man and wife stared at each other.

Sasuke drunk her appearance in; she was wearing an oversized white t-shirt over tight black leggings. The shirt hung off a shoulder, displaying tanned skin that he'd missed seeing. He fought the urge to gulp.

It looks like she'd always have that effect on him.

Something was ripping in his chest, against his ribs. It clawed and it screamed, its ungodly thrashing affecting him so much he had to resist rubbing the area above it.

And what seemed like a good idea suddenly turned into a horrible one.

"You were what, Mommy? You were like what?" A little boy asked joyously, tugging on his mother's hand impatiently as he waited impatiently for an answer.

Sasuke briefly saw Naru's eyes widened when he tore his attention away from her for a miniscule second.

He had been through many disturbing times.

The first being when he first introduced Naru to his family, and their instant rejection of her. The second when his father practically fired his brother from his position as the president of their company after finding out he was gay. The third was when he'd signed the divorce papers with Naru.

And he lived through all of that, staying resilient and never showing his true emotions. When he was all alone, perhaps he did break down and wept a silent cry. He was an Uchiha – they were never allowed to show weakness. It was forbidden.

And it was fine, because Sasuke had a name to live up to.

But nothing prepared him for the thousand needles that stabbed him as he caught sight of a little boy – just a toddler, really – who was an exact spitting image of himself, smiling the smile of Uzumaki Naruto, as he stared expectantly up at his beloved mother.

* * *

_A/N: Well, that was that. About the switching POVs - they're meant that way. If you don't like it, I'm sorry, but this story will be based on a third perspective narrating everything. Hope you guys enjoyed!_

_And, yes, I did change the title and category of this story. I felt that the current title would be more suited to the story, and I also thought that there wasn't much 'family' in this story, at least, not yet. Regardless, the storyline isn't going to change._

_And please, feel free to review! _

_'Cause, you know, reviews equals faster updates? I'll love you guys to the death if you review._

_Ja!_

_-Aron_


	4. Chapter 4

**All Of Me: A Naruto Fanfiction**

**Disclaimer: Stop depressing me. Really.**

* * *

**Chapter Four: Another Door Shuts**

All was quiet.

A pin couldn't even be heard in the silence that enveloped the entire kitchen.

Sora, growing impatient as his question continued to remain unanswered, asked once more, "Mommy? Mommy, are you listening? What were you like?"

Naru tried to see through her blurred vision, ignoring the panicked looks her friends were shooting her. She swallowed the rock seemingly stuck in her gullet and blinked multiple times in an attempt to clear her eyesight. Gritting her teeth, she shakily knelt in front of her baby boy and gently caressed the side of his face.

"Baby, why don't you head on up? You wanna go see the beach right? Go back to our room and get dressed, we'll go see the beach soon."

"Okay, Mommy!" The little boy exclaimed happily, standing on his toes as he kissed his mother on her cheek before politely taking his dishes and, stretching once more, placed them in the sink. He hurried off, eager to see the pristine beach that he was dying to visit.

Naru watched her son as he made his way up the stairs, disappearing into the second level of the mansion. She heard a door creak open before the silence tuned out little footsteps.

She could feel Sasuke's eyes burning a hole through her.

She ignored it, feeling the warmth of his gaze blazing a trail up and around her entire body. She bit hard against the inside of her cheek, aching not to meet his eyes as the familiar pain ripped her heart apart.

And yet, through all this, she tried to keep her cool.

She couldn't lose it. She can't. She didn't want to. Not in front of him – she wanted to show him exactly how strong she was now; no longer the pushover she was before. She's an independent woman, for God's sake. She'd _prove _him wrong. She'd prove everyone who ever doubted her wrong.

Closing her eyes for a brief moment, she drew the image of her son smiling and laughing as she tickled him.

She'd protect him too. No one would ever hurt him like how she'd been hurt the last time.

"Why didn't you tell me we have a son?" Sasuke strode up to Naru, closing the gap between them. His eyes were pitch black and blazing with anger. His nostrils flared, lips pressed into a thin line.

Naru hadn't seen anyone else perfect a poignant glare like how Sasuke did.

Azure eyes looked up to meet obsidian ones as the Uchiha glared at the petite blonde woman. She met him midway with a defensive gaze of equal intimidation. She refused to back down, crossing her arms over her chest as she spat, "Because by the time I found out the results, the papers were signed and you were already fucking Sakura."

"That," he hissed, inching ever so closely to Naru, "doesn't count. I _deserve _to know. He's my _son._ What the fuck, Naru? How long were you planning to keep him a secret from me?"

Her hands ached to push him away; he was standing way too close for comfort. She abhorred the space between them – it signified the rift that had grown between the two. He was too close and too far.

And for a second, she couldn't breathe. The air that surrounded her was pure _Sasuke, Sasuke, Sasuke. _She couldn't think straight.

But poison was a sly, cunning snake, and it crept up to her, jolting her from her sudden daze.

"Don't you remember, _Sasuke?_" Spitting his name, her heart felt as though it was breaking into a million pieces all over again. "I tried to. I wrote you letters, sent you emails, voicemails. I even tried to visit you in your motherfucking office, and you _threw me out_."

"_What the fuck are you doing here, dobe?" _

"_Sasuke, please, I just need to-"_

"_Security," he pressed a button underneath his desk. "Get this woman the fuck out of my sight." _

Sasuke gritted his teeth. "You didn't tell me you were pregnant."

"I fucking _tried _to, you goddamn dickhead! _And you shut me out!_" Naru's world was tumbling down in a spiraling abyss. She could remember every single forsaken attempt, how she tried and tried to no avail.

And now, the unfairness of her fate seemed to dawn on the emotionally stressed woman who wanted nothing but to kick and scream and slap the man who'd hurt her. She wanted him to burn, to feel all the pain she'd had to go through because of his actions.

"Mommy?" Sora's voice called from above, worry lacing his tone.

Naru bit her lip, clenching her hands into tight fists as she took a deep breath. "I'm coming, baby!"

She made a move then, trying to escape the suffocating kitchen.

A pale hand grasped her wrist, effectively stopping her. "I'll get him. I'll go to court if I have to; I have a right to know my own child."

A loud slap sounded as Naru's palm met Sasuke's clean, impassive face, exclaiming, "Over my dead body! If you even _try_, I'll make sure there'll be hell to pay! Don't make me do it, Sasuke, because I _can _and I _will_. Never forget that I know things the rest of the world doesn't."

She stared pointedly at Sakura, who'd been sitting quietly throughout the entire exchange. She hadn't said a word since coming down for breakfast, stumbling upon the blonde.

She'd ignored Naru, and vice versa, the latter staying simply because her son had yet to finish his meal.

Sasuke shut his mouth, eyes portraying a billion emotions he could never act on.

Naru tore her burning wrist away from Sasuke's tight grip, rubbing against her prickly skin. "I am not going to sit idly by and watch as you take my son away from me. He's the only one I've left, the one person I can't ever truly live without. He's my most precious person; and if you hurt him, you'll be sorry you even met me."

She paused before continuing, "So don't make me do it, Sasuke. Don't force me to become someone I'm not." It was the exact words he'd spoken to her when he asked for the divorce. She watched as his eyes grew wide with realization and a dash of pain.

Naru refused to feel even the slightest sense of sympathy for the raven-haired man. It was only right – he would never let go of this matter if she didn't go to extremes. Sasuke was like a stubborn pit-bull, tenacious to the point he wouldn't let go of what he thought was right, teeth clamped and locked into his target.

Clearly, nothing but further destruction would shatter her son's world. She didn't want him to be exposed to the negativity that she knew, somehow, would surround him in the future.

But that was in the future. It was the present now, and in spite of Naru's childlike behavior, she prioritized her son over anything and anyone else.

With her mind set, she stormed off then. Sasuke stepped aside, watching her as she quickly moved up the stairs, away from him.

The sight brought up memories he didn't want to remember.

"I can't say you didn't deserve it, otouto," Itachi said, walking up to him. "We both know you were never truly worthy of her."

"You don't have to rub salt in his wound, Itachi-nii," Sakura murmured, obvious guilt in her voice as she came closer to her fiancé. "Are you okay, babe?" She then proceeded to rub his biceps, pressing herself against his lean frame.

"Oh, for fuck's sake," Ino pushed Sakura away to face the younger Uchiha. "You got what you deserved, you little dipshit." With a smirk worthy of Itachi's approval, she too followed her blonde friend's example and stormed off. Neji and the others dismissed themselves, leaving behind Itachi and Sakura with a dumbstruck Sasuke.

"Sakura," Itachi turned to the pink-haired fiend, "leave."

Sasuke broke then. "Don't snap at my fiancée."

"When are you ever going to grow a backbone, Sasuke? When will you ever learn to grow up? Because, apparently, it's not that little boy upstairs who needs some more nurturing."

* * *

Naru's heart was beating wildly.

She couldn't breathe.

The room spun around her in dizzying circles.

"Mommy, I'm done!" Sora yelled happily, running out of the room's built-in shower. His world came to a screeching stop the minute his mother's limp body hit the carpeted floor beside their bed.

"Mommy!" the little boy screamed, dropping his clothes and rushing to come to his mother's aid.

"Uncle Neji, help!" He openly began to bawl, holding his mother's unconscious head on his lap. Tears fell onto her scarred face, and Sora's hands trembled from fear. _Please let Mommy be okay. Please don't let her be hurt. Please, please, please!_

A child's mental plea was answered when Neji came barging through their bedroom door. He took one glance at a sobbing Sora holding Naru's head on his lap. Her head lolled to the side, a small frown highlighting wrinkles and a crease between her brows.

"Neji, what-" Iruka's face met with Neji's strong back, the latter immediately ordering the other man to grab a hold of the toddler. Wordlessly, Iruka complied and hurried to take Sora into his arms.

The little boy screamed, unwilling to be parted with his dear Mommy. "No, no, no, I'm staying with my Mommy!"

Neji allowed Sora to slip into the back of his mind. He carefully carried Naru bridal-style and laid her on the large bed, checking her pulse points and ensuring that her heart was still beating steadily.

This had happened several times before; Naru was prone to lethal panic attacks caused by emotional distress. It was one of the reasons why she tried her best to remain optimistic and cheerful, disallowing her problems get the best of her.

He could barely register the voices in the background.

Neji was met with déjà vu as he recalled a time similar to this.

It was the day when Naru had officially signed the papers with Sasuke.

The blonde had collapsed as soon as she reached her home. Neji, Iruka and Ino had been called to the hospital hours later when her neighbor found Naru's cold body lying outside her porch, face as pale as a sheet of paper, her pulse racing to get more oxygen in her system but her body remaining unresponsive.

She was so close, then, to almost dying.

He vowed never to let that happen again.

Naru had protected him once; it was time he repaid the favor.

* * *

Sasuke wanted to lash out, to yell and to continuously punch something . . . or _someone_. He could feel his fists ready for spilled blood. His mind worked overtime, coming up with various ways he could release his pent up fury.

He just wanted to hurt someone so bad.

Near his room, he could hear frantic movements.

He couldn't bring himself to care, though.

_I have a son_, he thought to himself. _A young boy . . . and I never knew him_.

Sasuke punched the wall next to him. _I never knew him because I didn't try to_. Another punch, and this time he could feel the concrete bending to his will. _I should've listened to her, should've given her another chance to speak_. Blood was flowing freely now that he'd begun regularly punching the already breaking wall.

_I SHOULD'VE-_

"What the-" Sakura entered the room, "HOLY SHIT, STOP IT SASUKE-KUN! YOU'RE HURTING YOURSELF!"

He grabbed her then, crushing his mouth against hers. Tongue met tongue, and he began furiously working his way through the buttons of her shirt. Impatient, he tore at them, ripping Sakura's shorts from her body as they tumbled into their bed.

She was compliant, of course she was. This was _Uchiha Sasuke_. It was only natural for her to want him.

A young boy's piercing cry broke through Sasuke's mind, an arrow stabbing him through his spine as the sound implanted itself in his muddled mind. He broke his kiss with Sakura then and buckled his pants once more, barely realizing that he was already walking out the door.

His feet brought him to the slight opening of Naru's bedroom. One hand curled around the knob, he froze. _What am I doing? _

He opened the door slightly, only to be greeted by the sight of Hyuuga Neji's back stretching over Naru's body, his hands running all over her clothed body.

Sasuke tasted the coppery taste of blood in his mouth.

His vision was cloaked in red; fury and possessiveness taking momentary control over his body as he resisted breaking down the door. As much as he wanted to rip Neji off Naru, as much as he wanted to be in _Neji's _place, he couldn't. He simply couldn't.

And what angered the Uchiha even more was the fact that his own son, whom he didn't even knew existed until moments ago, was bawling in the arms of another man and seemingly being comforted by him.

Jealously spiking through his blood, Sasuke could feel his rage coming back with a vengeance.

That little boy, face red and cheeks stained with trailing tears, was supposed to be in _his _arms. Not some other man who held him like he was his father.

He wanted to spit into Iruka's face – his thoughts were nowhere near rational and peaceful.

It frightened him to think that this was his mind.

With teeth grinding ever so harshly upon each other, Sasuke turned his back from the unpleasant view he was seeing. He didn't want to, hell no, but he didn't have a choice. It was either he continued condemning himself, or he walked away and fucked his waiting fiancée.

And anyone who saw Sasuke then would acknowledge that, for the first time in three years, Sasuke's face was an open book narrating his broken emotions.

* * *

Naru's eyelashes fluttered. She struggled, trying to wake from this horrible nightmare she was having.

But as cerulean blue eyes opened hesitantly, she realized she was never waking up from her life's nightmare.

"Feeling better?" Neji asked, moving to rest a pale hand against her forehead.

Naru nodded. "Yeah, I'm fine. Where's . . . where's Sora?"

"He's in Iruka's bedroom. Took him awhile to get him out of your room," he sighed.

"Why's he there in the first place?"

Neji tilted his head, "Because he was on the verge of having a panic attack himself?"

He then continued, "You're lucky it wasn't as bad as it was the first time it happened. Sora only touched the tip of the iceberg. Don't worry, he's calm now. Do you want me to get him?"

"No, no, no," Naru chuckled. "I'm not an invalid, you know. I'll go get him."

"Naru," Neji countered, pushing against the blonde's shoulder as she tried to sit up, "don't even bother. Rest."

"Jeez, stop being such a worrywart!" Naru laughed, slapping him lightly on his shoulder. "I'm fine, you big dummy. Lemme go see my son and bond with him. I promised I'd bring him out to see the beach today, and you know I never break my promises!"

Naru's enthusiasm was clearly an indication the blonde was feeling well and truly better. Neji let her go; watching her back as she stumbled out of the bed and hurried to Iruka's bedroom, where she knew her son would be waiting.

As for the blonde mother, it was all she could do to ignore the grunts and moans she could hear from the bedroom she'd passed.

It was familiar, the way the grunts sounded, and Naru didn't want to dwell on it.

Some things were perhaps better left unsaid.

* * *

"Are you sure you're okay, Mommy? Is this okay?" Sora asked from his perch behind Naru's back as she carefully maneuvered her way through the silky sand. She was carrying her baby boy piggy-back style, defiant to prove that she was feeling physically well.

Emotionally, though, it was a different matter.

Her heart no longer felt as though it was constricting, which was a good sign. At least, she hoped it was. She'd locked what she was truly feeling, keeping it under tight knots and chains, forbidding it to be released.

She cringed as she recalled her fainting earlier; it was unprecedented and stupid. How ironic that, just after thinking she was going to remain headstrong, she almost immediately lost consciousness.

If he were to have seen her then, surely he would have smacked her upside the head and called her stupid.

But he wasn't.

"Mommy, I asked you a question . . . ?" Sora lightly tugged on his mother's loose ponytail.

She shook her head, "Oh, yes, yes, of course. Mommy's feeling _all _better now, baby, thanks to you!" Reaching around, she grabbed a wiggling Sora and began to blow raspberries on the laughing toddler.

"Mommy, no!" he squealed, twitching just as the blonde reached a particular ticklish spot.

Naru teased, "Mommy, yes!" Continuing her tickling of a very red Sora, she ignored beseeching eyes drilling into the back of her head.

She could practically feel his stare igniting her long forgotten passion.

And she tried her best to squash the inferno into mere embers.

"Alright, baby," Naru kissed Sora's shaking head, "we're gonna go play now, okay? What game-"

The little boy tapped Naru on her button nose, "TAG, MOMMY, YOU'RE IT!"

"Oh, no, you didn't! Uzumaki Sora, get back here!"

Mother and son ran around the soft, white sand dunes that contrasted perfectly against the blue background of the sea. The crashing waves were melodious and almost hypnotic. Amidst the breath-taking scenery came the sight of a blonde woman chasing her hyperactive son, his energy and optimistic attitude symmetrical to his dear mother's.

Neji, Ino and Iruka could only watch the two laughing and playing, a child and a child at heart, kicking up a sandstorm behind them as they raced to get away from each other.

Naru came to a sudden stop in front of Ino, a hand reaching out towards her best friend. "Join us?"

And because she was Naru, Ino couldn't deny her. She grabbed a sighing Neji along with an amused Iruka. Together, the group began to play a demented game of tag, each adult breathing hard just to keep up with the little boy who had so much pent up energy, it felt as if he was drinking Red Bull for milk.

Itachi and Diedara sat atop a quilt, chilled glasses of juice by their sides as the male blonde read a novel contentedly. Itachi, foregoing his renowned discreetness, watched as Naru's group of close friends danced around in the sand.

He used to see her laughing like this; free, open and completely liberated. It had been ages since he'd last seen her guffaw, mask temporarily buried as she took the initiative to make her day a wonderful one.

Smiling, he stood, rolling his shoulders and shaking his hands. "Where are you going, hun?" Deidara asked him, curious sky blue eyes alighting with curiosity and wonder.

"I am going to play with them."

It was a sight, indeed, watching the world famous Uchiha Itachi play a simple game of tag with a group of childish adults.

* * *

"Is that . . . well, I'll be damned! That's Itachi-nii actually _playing_!" Sakura gasped, eyes going as wide as they could possibly go at the sight of a _laughing _and _smiling _Itachi. It was surreal to see the frequently frowning Uchiha; he had temper worst than Sasuke, and found fault in everything around him.

Watching him now, watching as he chased a squealing Naru, only further proved to Sakura exactly how much power the blonde had over the Uchiha brothers . . . and how well she knew them.

No one could make Itachi smile that way, not even Deidara.

"What?" Sasuke asked, tightening the knot on his board shorts against his muscular abdomen. It was mid-afternoon, the sunlight reaching its peak as it combed through the hot sand, reflecting against the ocean and almost blinding anyone who tried to look at it.

Looking up, the younger Uchiha stopped his movements.

Itachi was _laughing_.

Itachi was _smiling_.

Itachi was chasing Naru.

Sasuke's immediate reacton was to head back inside the mansion, and he did just so, stalking back to his room in an attempt to mope. "Hey, where are you going, Sasuke-kun? I thought you wanted to go out?" Sakura called from behind him.

"We can enjoy ourselves by the poolside."

"But-"

"Do whatever you want, Sakura. I'm not in the mood."

" . . . oh, uh, okay," the pink-haired actress said awkwardly, elegant hands tugging on the barely-there-bikini she'd picked out specially for her fiancé to drool over.

He didn't even notice her.

Sakura watched Sasuke take a final glance behind him, obsidian eyes hiding all the pain in the world.

_He didn't even look at me . . . he didn't even look at his son, _she thought. _He was staring at _her.

* * *

"I'm going back in to make some drinks, guys! What're you craving for?" Naru yelled, holding her arms up high in surrender.

Iruka shouted from the far north of her, "Orange juice!"

Ino demanded, "Apple!"

"Iced tea!" Neji and Itachi called in unison, both whirling around and glaring at each other afterwards. Neji, because he hated the idea that someone thought like him. Itachi, because he wanted to annoy the man who seemingly had a stick lodged deep in his anus.

Naru glanced at a dozing Deidara, deciding not to wake him.

Taking a deep breath, she crushed her pride and walked up to a lonely Sakura who sat dejectedly away from the group. Her alabaster skin shone in the sunlight, beautiful even as you saw it from afar.

And it suddenly became no wonder to Naru why Sasuke was with the pink-haired success story.

Bracing herself, Naru asked, "How 'bout you, Sakura? Do you . . . you know, want anything?"

"A quarter glass of margarita, five percent alcohol, hold the lemon. Add in a dash of grenadine and a maraschino cherry," was the haughty reply.

The blonde took a step back, eyebrows raised. "Iced tea, it is."

Before the famous actress could even speak, Naru turned on her heel and hurried towards the house. Behind her, she could hear her son's laughter. The pitter-patter of feet on sand was hard to distinguish, the sound muffled by the soft dunes that rolled between their toes like satin.

She waved to a patrolling Gaara and Lee, grinning widely when the latter waved back as eagerly as she did. She frowned when she realized a silver-haired, masked man was nowhere to be found; she wondered where he went.

Recalling what he'd warned her from before, she shuddered.

Her thoughts were interrupted as she bumped into a warm body, one that sent electric currents gently cruising up and down her entire body. She looked up, blue eyes dilating in shock as she stared into black ones.

Sasuke's heart was alive, thrumming and threatening to beat right out of his chest.

The blue eyes he missed, the ones he dreamt of every night since the day they separated, came back to haunt him as they hollowed with sadness. She stepped away from him, and Sasuke immediately hated that she had the strength to pull away, to deny the energy shared between them.

There they stood, two former lovers, staring into each others' eyes and wondering where they went wrong.

But for Sasuke, he knew _exactly _what he did to push the blonde away.

Naru's pouty, red lips thinned, pursing into a line. She closed the only windows she had to her soul, and Sasuke ached, watching her walk away once more from him. He watched as she entered the kitchen, searching through cupboards for whatever it is she needed.

Her back turned towards him, he thirstily roamed his parched eyes over her attire.

She wasn't wearing much, seeing as it was a hot day and she was spending it on the beach. Her skin was slightly flushed, and the denim shorts she wore barely covered the top of her thighs. She wore an oversized light blue cotton shirt that was tucked in, damp spots indicating she'd been sweating. The sleeves were rolled up so that her arms were exposed.

There was so much skin, and Sasuke could remember every single part of her in detail.

Some, though, were hazy.

He wanted so badly to remedy that.

However, the memory of Sakura's ringed finger locked him in place.

They weren't fighting, something that hadn't happened for a long time. He took it as an omen; it felt as though it was the calm before the storm. He didn't like the uneasiness he felt, the uncertainty.

He used to be confident, sure of his place with the blonde. With her, he was himself. She brought out both the worst and best of him.

The monster hiding in Sasuke's chest was once more threatening to tear its way through his muscle ligaments and bones, the pain almost too unbearable.

He was about to turn when a slight shifting of light brought his attention to something more intriguing.

Sasuke had caught sight of Naru's subtle stretch marks on the back of her thighs. Finally unable to refrain himself, Sasuke walked slowly up to Naru, her back still facing him as she chopped lemons.

He ghosted a finger over the back of her right thigh.

She froze.

"What . . . what are you _doing?!_" She rasped, breathless.

_Sorry_, he traced on her skin.

And then he left.

* * *

_A/N:Don't really have much to say except a BIG, BIG THANK YOU to all those who reviewed so far. :) I've kept my side of the bargain, and I'm hoping you guys will too. Gaara and Lee won't be having much a role in this story, unfortunately. So to all Lee or Gaara fans out there, it'll be awhile before we go in depth with the two. _

_Anyway, leave a review! (If you do, I'll send you huge cyber hugs. Seriously. I'm not kidding.) _

_Ja!_

_-Aron_


	5. Chapter 5

**All Of Me: A Naruto Fanfiction**

**Disclaimer: You're joking, right?**

* * *

**Chapter Five: Lost In Translation**

After Sasuke's sudden – albeit gentle – apology, Naru was reduced to a mess of confusion and anger. Confusion because she didn't know how to respond to the very words she'd been waiting an extremely long time to hear. Anger because he left too quickly for Naru to react.

The next day, he didn't come down for breakfast. And when questioned about Sasuke's whereabouts, the only thing Sakura told Itachi was that he was 'working.'

Naru had gritted her teeth over the poor excuse; she'd heard it too many times to know it was utter bullshit. She wanted to call him out on it but no amount of tracking and inquiring could bring her Uchiha Sasuke, who had mysteriously vanished overnight.

Itachi wasn't concerned; he knew what his brother was doing, and he vowed that the minute he got his hands on that little dimwit, he'd make sure his dear otouto's head would _hurt_.

"Mommy, I'm sick of going to the beach!" Sora whined as Naru wiped off the grime present on his face. It was lunchtime, and the Uzumakis were being wonderful houseguests by making lunch for the entire household.

"Well, baby boy, what would you like to do then?" Naru playfully bumped his head, standing up so she could check on the vegetable stir-fry she was working on.

Sora grinned at the sight; he loved watching his mother cook. She just seemed so homey, and the young boy felt as though they were teleported back to their small yet cozy little home, where his mother danced and sang and laughed all day long.

Here, she didn't do much of it.

And Sora didn't like that; he loved his Mommy. Seeing her frown or cry pained the little boy so much, he wouldn't dare do anything to hurt his beloved mother.

And yes, he was a Mommy's boy.

He didn't care though. It had always been just himself and his Mommy. His Mommy was not just his mother – she was his best friend, his one precious person that he would fight dragons and black knights for. She was there to kiss all his booboos, to hold him tightly when he cried, and to ward off his nightmares when he had them.

In the end, the little boy just wanted to see her smile like how she used to.

"What's gotten into you, baby?" Naru asked, bewildered when her son didn't answer. She peered down, analyzing Sora's dampened mood.

She jerked her head back when she realized Sora's expression was somber. "Oh, sweetie, what's wrong?" Naru turned off the stove, bending down in front of Sora and touching his twitching nose.

"Mommy, why aren't you like how you are back home?"

It was an innocent question, really. But nonetheless, it made the blonde mother worried.

Her son had noticed the change in her personality over the past few, difficult days. She sighed, picking up Sora's tiny hand and holding it tightly in hers. Then, like the experienced mother she was, she picked him up and carried him, one arm firmly holding her baby boy whilst the other continued preparing lunch.

She didn't give him an answer. Instead, she hummed his favorite lullaby and felt his small head drop into the crook of her neck.

In a matter of minutes, Uzumaki Sora was fast asleep.

* * *

"Need some help?"

Itachi had been watching mother and son prepping lunch for the past thirty minutes. He noticed how at ease Naru was, how habitual it seemed for her to hold her son to her small body as she fried, stirred and sometimes flipped the meat. He noticed how serene her expression was, looking at her child.

Itachi's parents had never given him that look before; his entire life was a fabrication of deceitful lies and manipulative planning. He was always used as a stepping stone for things greater than he was. Itachi was never seen as just _Itachi – _the whole world knew him as Uchiha Fugaku's son.

For a long time, he was fine with it. He'd proven to the world what he was capable of. The world leaders feared him, knowing the weapons of mass destruction that Itachi could reproduce within a single night and ultimately wreck historical catastrophe on their respective countries.

People were afraid of him, and he relished the feeling of being feared, rolling in the mud that was filthy with turbulence and discomfort.

He'd changed the minute he met Uzumaki Naruto. And for that, he owed her his life.

She'd saved him.

Not from his father.

Not from his mother.

Nor was it from an overachieving little brother.

Instead, Naru saved him from his worst enemy; himself.

"Nah," Naru sighed, looking up happily at him, breaking his thoughts. "I'm fine, Itachi-niisan. Go back out and enjoy the sun."

Itachi took the pan from her, raising an elegant eyebrow when she refused to give it to him. "Now, now, little one, don't make me spill it on you."

He chuckled when the blonde stuck her tongue out at him, her entire face contorting into a childish one that predictably resembled Sora's more playful expressions. "You know," Naru began, "I should probably take a video of this. The whole world will laugh at Uchiha Itachi making _lunch_. Imagine that! _New York Times _will probably post it as their headlines!"

Naru bit her lip from laughing aloud, careful not to wake her sleeping son.

Itachi noticed the immediate softening of her face. "Do you want to go up, lay him down?"

"Yeah, that sounds like a good idea. That way, I can make fun of you without Sora waking up." Winking, she hurried to deposit her little boy in their bedroom where he was allowed a short nap.

Minutes later, the blonde returned, taking another knife from a cupboard and beginning to work on the final touches of the last dish. "So, Itachi-niisan," she began casually, "why aren't you . . . why did you step down as president?"

_Blunt as ever, Naru, _Itachi thought with a sigh. He took his time placing the food into a large bowl, smoke gathering under his nose as he caught whiff of a delicious dish that he was sure he'd be devouring later.

Naru took hold of Itachi's hands, effectively stopping his movements. "Nii-san, you can tell me anything, you know that right? I'm not going to blab to anyone." Her beautiful blue eyes, a perfect replica of the turquoise, aquamarine seawater that was just fifty feet away from the mansion, were what broke Itachi's mental barrier.

He could never stand those questioning eyes. He was a sucker for her curious gaze.

Sighing, he leaned his hip against the counter, looking away from her wondering stare. "Otouto fulfilled a wish of Father and Mother's that I simply couldn't."

"And that is . . . ?"

"I think you know what it is."

Naru's eyes lit with immediate fire, and Itachi nearly shivered from the fury displayed clearly in her suddenly dark eyes. "So _Sakura _is the reason why Sasuke gets to be president but you don't?" She spat, her angular face etched in complete malice. "That's downright the most _stupidest,_ and not to mention _craziest, _notion your parents and that asshole could ever have!"

"In theory, yes," Itachi grinned slightly, amused by Naru's reaction. She reminded him of an angry kitten thinking it could take on the world. With her whiskered scars on her cheeks, it only further heightened Itachi's amusement.

"No offense, Itachi-niisan, but your parents are cray-cray." Naru nodded, balancing two dishes on both hands as she made her way to the dining table. Itachi followed, carrying the rest of the dishes, hiding the splitting grin that illuminated his pale, tired face.

* * *

Neji looked up. He watched the blonde and the frightening older Uchiha set the table with much ease, taking note that they orbited around each other like how the planets revolved around the sun. It was well-practiced and painfully obvious that these two shared a deep bond.

Naru sensed Neji's gaze on her, and she caught his observant eyes. Grinning wildly, she crossed her eyes at him before yelling, "Lunch is ready, you little pigs! Come and get it!"

Lunch was a torrid affair. Even after the many days that the group shared together, it never failed to enlighten Naru how chaotic, messy and undeniably noisy they all were as they feasted on the food sprawled out on the table. It always shocked Naru that they were able to finish the enormous amount of food, with Ino – being the self-proclaimed Diet Queen – even reaching for second rounds.

"Mommy, Mommy, Mommy!" Sora enthused, clanging his metal fork against the wooden table amidst the loud bickering of the adults. "Can we go see the jungle, Mommy, can we? I wanna see a tiger!" He'd caught sight of the magnificent greenery of the island, and was obviously dying to go sightseeing.

And for Naru, the chance to actually go trekking through the jungle was simply too irresistible.

But first things first . . .

"Sweetie," Naru laughed, "you can't see any tiger here . . ."

Then, turning to Itachi with wide eyes, she gasped, "Right?"

He merely shrugged, causing Naru to chuck a fallen piece of meat at him.

Itachi glared at the blonde in distaste. "Be serious, Itachi-niisan! Don't get me all paranoid that some tiger's gonna-"

"RAWR!" Sora growled, jumping on his already panicked mother, "RAWR, MOMMY, I'M A TIGER!"

And Naru's piercing scream, worthy of a blockbuster horror movie, rang throughout the entire house.

* * *

Sasuke could hear the chatter from where he sat in his bedroom, blueprints and papers, pens and pencils scattered and littered his desktop. On the bed, Sakura dozed, having spent the entire night fornicating with Sasuke.

He tried, oh God did he try, to stop listening to the conversations that floated up the stairs, through his door and into his ears. He didn't want to hear her laughs, her cries, her protests . . . he simply didn't want anything to do with her.

He despised the fact that he couldn't say the words he wanted to. He _hated _it. He _loathed _it. He _resented _it.

Every single moment spent in his room, away from her, was like a knife wedged deeper in his heart. The pain in it never went away; he should've foretold it, should've seen it coming. He should've known he would never stop-

_Enough!_

He sighed, slamming his pencil into his desk, breaking it into two.

Cradling his head between his hands, he grabbed at his lank hair, memories of happier times with her surfacing.

_Stop it, stop it, stop it, stop it, stop it! _

He could remember everything so precisely; the small home they shared and the porch that had a small swing on it. He could remember the small things and the big things; how Naru couldn't sleep without a million blankets covering her even though in the morning they'd be thrown to the floor, and she would be wrapped around him like a boa constrictor.

Sasuke could remember her joyous laugh, the one that wasn't plagued by years of pain and despair.

But the one thing that never left his mind, the one memory he would have forever etched in his brain was the image of her expression walking down the aisle.

He'd never seen anyone so perfect before.

Almost immediately, Sasuke ran to the bathroom, throwing open the toilet seat lid and emptying the few spoonfuls of gruel he'd eaten the night before.

His back was sweaty, his entire head _ached_.

He just wanted it all to go away.

_But it can't . . . and it won't, not when _she's _around._

* * *

"Holy shit, hurry up, slowpokes!" Naru shouted from somewhere further down the trail. "We gotta get back by sunlight or Sora's gonna get angsty waiting for us!"

The blonde had left her son back at the mansion with Itachi and Deidara, choosing instead to spend the rest of her afternoon and early evening marking out a trail that the whole group could follow the next day, ensuring that the terrain they'd be crossing was child-friendly.

"Not everyone has your agility, Naru!" Ino screamed back, slipping on a moss-covered rock.

Yamato caught her elbow, saving her from a rather disgraceful fall. "No, no, no," Ino shook her head vehemently, "put me back where you found me. I gotta try this on my own! I. Am. _Woman!_" Her eyes were wild with determination and thirst for success; indeed, Yamanaka Ino was a brutal force to reckon with when bothered.

_She's crazy. Fucking hell, she's crazy! _Backing away, Yamato raised his hands up in surrender. "I'll, uh, go check on Naru."

"Make sure she doesn't get too ahead, Yamato," Neji grunted, pulling himself over another large root. "When she gets too excited, she tends to forget the people around her."

"Will do," Yamato acknowledged, easily weaving through the thick underbrush and stunning the still struggling Hyuuga.

"I am so fucking out of shape," he panted, flipping his long, black hair over his shoulder before hefting himself over an annoying rock that was nearly impossible to climb.

From behind him, he heard Iruka and Ino's overjoyed exclamation as they finally climbed over their first obstacle.

* * *

"Naru, wait up!"

The blonde turned just in time to collide with a sprinting Yamato. "Ow!" she yelled as the two crashed, two bodies molding into one as Naru felt her right arm being stabbed and then sliced through by the edge of a sharp rock.

"Ow, ow, ow, ow, ow!" She sat up, holding the back of her head that had met an unbecoming root. She barely had time to register the pain on her arm as Yamato crawled towards her.

"Fuck, Naru, are you-"

"Well, I'm bleeding and my head hurts, so yeah, I'm fine. Totally," she was sarcastic; that was _never _a good sign in Yamato's book. Gulping, he checked her arm, noticing that the wound wasn't as deep as she made it seem. There wasn't much blood but from the police captain's crash course in first aid, he knew having a small cut in the jungle could lead to horrible consequences later.

"Stay with me, Naru, alright?" Yamato asked gently, watching as the blonde huffed.

"I'm not a fucking child, hello?! I can take care of myself!" Naru stood defiantly, hands on her hips as her left foot tapped against the leaf-covered ground. Taking a step away from Yamato, she tripped over a miniscule root peeping out the ground, and immediately fell onto her side.

Looking up to meet Yamato's smug face, she pouted. "Okay, fine, point taken. Don't give me that smirk, jackass."

Yamato barked out a laugh; he could see, now, how this young woman had enthralled the Uchiha brothers. Before, he'd never really talk to the single mother. The only person he was remotely close to was Iruka, and even then, it wasn't as if they exchanged pleasantries every day.

"Come on, oh Mighty One," Yamato squatted in front of her, lifting her easily in his muscled and well-trained arms. "I'll get you back safely."

"Ya know," Naru tapped his face away from hers slightly, "Ino will probably blow a gasket if she sees this."

_Speak of the devil, and he shall come, _Yamato thought as he caught sight of long, platinum blonde hair.

"Aw, _come on, _Naru! What the hell? I leave you with Yamato for a few minutes, and you've got him carrying you like a damn princess! Why is it you _always _get the good ones?" Ino complained, having broke through the foliage like a demented bat out of a cave.

"Wait, what?" Neji was breathing heavily, unable to articulate a complete sentence as his mind tried to catch up to his exhausted body, arriving just behind Ino.

Ino smacked him on his shoulder. "You're not paying attention, Neji!"

"Well, I'm sorry I'm too tired to-"

It was then and there that Neji saw Naru in Yamato's arms.

There were many things that Neji disliked.

Scratch that, Neji merely _tolerated _a few things; his family, his friends, Sora, and his art.

And the sight of the small blonde he considered his sister being carried in the arms of a motherfucking opportunist was certainly one of the things that Neji did _not_ tolerate.

Yamato was slowly backing away from the evil glint in Neji's eyes. "I'm innocent! I swear to God, Buddha and Zeus that I'm innocent!"

Iruke chose that moment to burst through the thick undergrowth that surrounded them. "Hey, why is everyone-"

And Iruka's protective senses tingled.

Like Neji, he was overprotective of Naru. His normally calm exterior morphed to an exceedingly frightening one. "I'm giving you three seconds, Yamato," he warned, already advancing on the pair, Neji prowling beside him like a predator hunting its prey.

"Oh for fuck's sake," Naru groaned, "injured girl right here? Anybody copy?"

And because _everyone _loved Naru, all hell broke loose.

* * *

"Get the goddamned Hallelujah box!" Ino screamed as they burst through the mansion's front door.

Sasuke and Sakura, sitting in front of the large television positioned in the living room, jolted up and scooted across the room just as the brown haired man with a strange mask rivaling Kakashi's conveniently dumped Naru on the grey sofa.

Sasuke saw the blood, and his imagination went into overdrive. "What the fuck happened?"

"I said," Ino grabbed Sasuke by the front of his shirt, "get the motherfucking Hallelujah box, you little piece of shit!"

"I don't even know what the fuck is a motherfucking Hallelujah box-"

"For God's sake," Naru groaned, clutching her arm to her chest. "It's the damn first aid kit!"

"Oh, oh, right." For the first time in his life, Sasuke was stammering, stumbling over words to say as his eyes roamed the length of her body, ensuring that nothing else was wrong with her.

Impatient with Sasuke's lack of response, Ino pushed him away, actual panic and worry flooding her as she hurried to help her friend. "If you didn't want to help," she spat at the raven-haired man, "you could've just said so."

She rushed off to find Itachi, leaving Sasuke stranded in a group of strangers who abhorred him. Sakura's hand never felt so wrong in that moment, yet it was the only thing that kept him from pushing away the brown-haired male that worked over Naru's body expertly.

His inner monster was straining against its chains once more.

"What the fuck happened here?" Itachi barged into the room, a squirming Sora in his arms. Seeing Itachi carrying his son nearly decimated any attempt Sasuke had in controlling his outburst of emotions. He didn't like the fact that _Itachi _got to touch his son first. Sora was _his _son, his own flesh and blood.

Sakura held him back forcefully. "Not now, Sasuke," he heard her murmur.

He bit his tongue, his hand deathly coiling around Sakura's.

And in that precise moment, Sasuke felt utterly useless.

He couldn't do anything but watch as the group applied medicine on Naru's bloodied arm. He stood and simply stared at the idiotic brown-haired man who caressed the back of her head, asking her gentle questions whether or not she felt tender there.

He didn't even factor in Sora, the little boy who sat on the floor underneath his mother's head, pushing away strands of hair that lay limp on Naru's grimacing face.

And watching mother and son – _his _mother and son – reassure each other, Sasuke knew that the only way he would no longer be rendered useless was to actually speak with the blonde.

The idea caused a small seedling of hope to grow slowly in his chest. He could feel the tightening of his lungs, the restriction of his ribs as his heart very nearly felt as though it would expand right out of his entire body.

He knew he'd vowed before he would no longer speak to the blonde or make any form of contact.

But he had to do _something_.

He just didn't know what it was.

* * *

Hours later, Naru was seated in front of the fireplace, her son on her lap and her friends strewn on futons all around her. Even the proud Itachi slept soundly from his place beside Deidara, his body facing Naru's direction as his hands occasionally twitched.

Ino had one hand clasped firmly around Naru's good arm. Neji slept beside Ino, Iruka on his other side as the two men slept an uneasy sleep that consisted of frequent jolts and mutterings. Her baby boy was no better; his small arms wrapped in a vice grip around her torso, refusing to let go.

She realized now how unjust she was to her son. She'd let him go through numerous emotional roller-coasters in just a matter of five days. The first being when she told him he'd be meeting his Daddy, the man he'd seen and heard solely over the radios, magazine covers and TV screens. The second was when she fainted; it'd been the first time her baby boy had seen it.

The third was what happened earlier on.

She couldn't allow a fourth event to upset her son. He was still young – she feared he could break at any given moment. _I need to be more careful, _she thought, _I don't want to end up like Mom and Dad . . . buried six feet under and still haunting me. I won't let Sora go through what I had to go through. _

"Shouldn't you be resting?" Sasuke's quiet voice whispered from behind her.

Naru's back immediately straightened, his sudden appearance sending a wave of alarm in her. She took a deep breath, refusing to look at him, though she could sense that he was directly behind her position on the couch.

From the corner of her eye, she could see two pale hands resting on either side of where she leaned her shoulders against the soft cushion of the sofa.

With a shaky tremor, she murmured, "Yamato told me not to – I may have a concussion, and that if I vomit in my sleep, I'll never know. So I have to stay up – for the first night, at least. They're bringing in a doctor tomorrow to check me up."

"How's . . . how's your arm?" He was being civil, and that alone raised Naru's suspicions.

"Why are you talking to me? You never bothered before."

"I've been doing some thinking," Sasuke's voice was closer now, near her ear. She heard the rustle of fabric as he moved closer to her. Her heart thrummed, electricity humming underneath her skin as he closed in on her. "And I want to get to know Sora."

"And then, what? Leave him?" Naru's own voice was bitter, years of betrayal lacing her usually cheery intonation.

She didn't know why but she could practically feel him frown. "What, exactly, are you afraid of?"

"Did you forget, Sasuke?" Acid burned her throat as she spoke his name for the second time in three years. "You left me. You could leave him."

"He's my _son_, Naru," he was saying her name carefully, foreign to his tongue after years of avoiding that specific name. "I want to know him." There was an odd undertone to his voice, as though he was pleading and yet demanding.

She couldn't decide, couldn't even think. All she felt was the rapid beating of her heart, feeling Sasuke draw closer and closer until his head rested on hers, his warm breath fanning across her forehead. She watched as his hand shook unsteadily, reaching for the small head of her baby boy.

Naru couldn't help it; she slapped his hand away before it could even reach its intended destination. "No."

"Why, Naru? He's my _son_. I am his _father_."

"I don't want him to be raised in the spotlight," she finally admitted. "Sora doesn't deserve the paparazzi, the glamorous life that you live. He doesn't deserve to be fed to a sea full of hungry sharks. The media will eat him up, and for a little boy, that's not a good environment to live in.

"Look at you and Itachi-niisan. The two of you were struggling with who you really were for a long time because of your surname. In fact, Sasuke, you still are. To be a father is to be ready to bear the responsibilities of one, and I don't think you're ready to do that. Sora's too young to be exposed to your reckless ways. And, judging from the media and you constantly fucking Sakura, it's _a lot_." Naru finished, letting the silence take over as Sasuke ran over her words in his mind.

She could feel his warm head shake slowly on top of hers. "Let me get to know him, Naru. Let me get to know my son. If you don't . . . I'll-"

"You don't get it, do you? Sora isn't just something you can discard once you're tired of playing with it."

"I never said-"

"Go back to bed, Sasuke. This conversation is pointless."

It was his fault, really, why she was acting this way.

He would have rather preferred her slapping him a million times more, perhaps even allowing her to kick and punch and tear her way through him.

Her words were pure toxic, and he finally understood how she'd felt when he began denying her love years ago.

There was no fixing what was already broken.

* * *

_A/N: Honestly, I completely agree with you guys that Sasuke's a major dickhead. A couple of things to clarify though; where's Fugaku and Mikoto? Well, they'll be around. And no, they're not on the island. Second, where's Kakashi? That's for me to know, and you guys to find out later on. ;) I hope you enjoyed this chapter! I had a blast writing this; you can't all be doom and gloom. _

_Your reviews are like heroin; I can't ever get enough of them. Wow, how creepy did that sound? _

_Ja!_

_-Aron_


	6. Chapter 6

**All Of Me: A Naruto Fanfiction**

**Disclaimer: Seriously? **

* * *

**Chapter Six: Hell Breaks Loose**

"Well, Ms. Uzumaki, it appears that you'll be doing fine. There seems to be no repercussions with your little accident yesterday but I don't expect you to be jumping and dancing with that arm of yours – at least wait for a few days, and it should heal nicely." A local doctor spoke in kind to Naru, who focused more on his heavy accent rather than his words.

"And," he continued, patting her shoulder, "please do remember to apply these antiseptic creams and, please, never forget to take your antibiotic pills."

Naru grimaced. "I hate medicine."

"Well, unfortunately, ma'am," the portly, bearded and chocolate-skin man chuckled. "Unless you have a death wish, I highly suggest you forcing it down your throat."

The blonde shuddered, her imagination running wild as she pictured Neji shoving the frightful pills down her throat whilst Iruka stood behind him, cackling evilly like a mad witch. "You doctors scare the crap outta me," she pouted, shaking her head.

From the corner of the room, Itachi stood, volunteering to escort the doctor back to his speedboat.

As the older Uchiha chaperoned the doctor to his boat, Naru was left putty in the hands of Iruka, Neji and Ino; all of whom fretted over the young mother who sat on the grey couch like a petulant child; lips pouted and hands crossed over her chest.

She could barely hear their lectures as her eyes wandered, drifting to her still sleeping baby boy.

Naru couldn't decide for herself if she'd done the right thing, denying Sasuke of his right to his own child. She was beyond afraid of what he might do, the lengths he would go to just to covet her son away from her. Sasuke had power and _money_; they were the two, utmost things that could corrupt an unsuspicious judge.

She could imagine herself sitting in a courtroom, facing the judge as he granted Sasuke full custody of her son.

The gut-wrenching pain that catapulted across her body nearly made her double over in pain.

Naru simply couldn't allow that to happen. Sora was too young, too little to go through such a debacle. It frightened Naru how much influence Sasuke still held in her life, how much suffering and apocalyptic consequences he could bestow on her.

But if she agreed to let him meet Sora, to get to know her little boy, what would become of her poor son when Sasuke decides enough was enough?

_He'd be ridiculed, called as bastard son. _Naru thought acidly. _He would never be able to live a happy life again. _

What was a mother to do when one part of her wanted what the other part didn't? Her baby boy was hanging precariously on the edge of a cliff, one foot dangling whilst the other remained fragilely planted on the slippery rocks. What, pray tell, could the blonde mother do without hurting anyone?

"Are you even listening?" Ino pinched Naru's cheek, watching as her friend's dazed eyes flickered with a little life. "Naru . . . what's wrong?"

She didn't answer, eyes darting around the room as though she searched for something.

When her terrified eyes met Ino's, the platinum blonde woman immediately knew something had happened the night before, something that threatened Naru's emotional wellbeing. Turning to Iruka and Neji, as well as a newly returned Itachi, she whispered urgently, "Leave us."

And they did, worried eyes trained on Naru as they left the two women with an unawake Sora.

It took awhile – it usually did – to get Naru to speak.

But when she did, Ino was more than a little willing to listen to her beloved friend's woes.

"He . . . Sasuke . . . talked to me last night." Naru muttered brokenly, clenching her hands into little fists as she pressed them into her thighs. "He said he wanted to get to know Sora."

"And did you let him?"

" . . . no."

"Then why are you guilty?"

"I'm not guilty! I'm just . . . just . . ."

Ino sighed, pushing back Naru's gorgeous locks of blonde hair. "Sweetie, you're stammering. It's unlike you to stammer. And you're shivering – that's a sign that you're at least uncomfortable. Judging from the look on your face, you're guilty Naru, because you think you still owe him something."

"So maybe I _do _feel guilty, maybe I _do _want my son and his father to at least be acquainted. But think, Ino, _think_. If Sasuke really wants Sora, no, if _Fugaku _really wants _my _son . . . he'll make sure he gets him, come hell or high water." Naru's voice was breaking, clearly oppressed by this fact.

"And we'll be there to fight-"

The other blonde interrupted her, "So what, Ino? I appreciate you and Neji and Iruka coming to my aid but _think_, fucking hell, _think! _If they want Sora, they'll do anything, anything at all, to make sure his last name is Uchiha. And I can't let them, Ino! I can't let them take Sora away from me! Not after . . . not after . . ."

The dam broke.

Naru's hot tears, slowly trickling down the apple of her cheeks, were the first that Ino had seen in over three years.

Stunned, all Ino could do was to pull her best friend into her arms and allowed her favorite cotton shirt to be stained with the salt water leaking out of Naru's eyes. She couldn't do anything but hold her trembling body, riddled with past memories and uncertain futures.

There, Ino simply sat with Naru, hugging the other blonde as tight as she could, being the rock that stabilized her.

A little boy jolted awake, the events of yesterday still fresh from his mind.

He'd heard sniffling; the main cause of why he'd woken up.

But what made his little bubble pop was the sight of his dear mother, wrapped up in the arms of his aunt, falling into pieces and crying. "Mommy," the little boy sat up, "Mommy?"

He watched as his mother hurriedly wiped off her tears. Alarmed, he crawled over to her and pulled himself unsteadily onto her lap. He cupped both of her cheeks, wiping off the remaining wet areas he despised greatly. "Don't cry, Mommy, I don't like to see you crying."

"Oh, baby," his Mommy pressed her warm lips against his forehead.

No further words were shared between mother and son. They sat there, holding each other as Ino discreetly went off, giving them the much needed privacy.

"I don't think I like this place anymore, Mommy."

"Why, baby? I thought you liked the sun."

"I do, but this place makes you cry. I don't like seeing Mommy cry, and this place makes Mommy cry a lot. Can't we go home?"

A heavy sigh gently lifted Sora from his mother's chest. "It isn't my decision to make, baby . . ."

"Why?"

"Baby," Naru asked suddenly, tightening her hold on her son. "Would you like to meet your Daddy?"

Sora didn't answer, taken aback by her question. Eventually, he said in a small voice, "Is he the same like the pretty pictures?"

"I don't know, baby boy."

"Then I don't know, too. Is Daddy the reason why we're here?"

It was too innocent, yet it hammered the nail right on its head. "Yes."

"Then Daddy is the reason why you're crying."

"I-"

"Mommy, if someone makes you cry, you always tell me to turn my back on them and show them that I'm better, because I'm not hurting them back. So, Mommy, you needa turn your back on Daddy because you're better than Daddy." Sora concluded.

Naru was silent, absorbing the words that were imparted solemnly by Sora.

And then she burst into laughter, giggling away at the irony of the situation. What a prime example it was, indeed, for her son to advocate peace.

Still not understanding his mother's odd demeanor, Sora continued, "And when they keep hurting you, Mommy, give them a good kick in the nuts!"

Naru's amusement came to an unbecoming stop as she screeched, "Where in the world did you hear that from?!"

"Grandpa Jiraiya told me!" Sora cheered, remembering his happy, old grandfather.

"_That bastard!"_

Sora thrust his palm into Naru's face, a knowing smile fixed on his little face as he demanded for his mother to pay up.

_At least I know what to do now, _Naru thought, her decision shifting and morphing as she prepared herself to protect her baby boy, her Sora, from the perils that Uchiha Sasuke could bring to him.

She'd let him know Sora.

And she'd let Sora know him.

But she'd be watching.

Because if Sasuke hurt a single hair on Sora, if he so much as stubbed his cute pinky toe, Naruto would make sure there'd be hell to pay.

* * *

Sasuke pushed himself off Sakura, finally sated.

Giggling, his pink-haired fiancée rolled over to rest her head on his sweaty chest. "I don't know what's gotten into you lately but I certainly don't condone it. Tell me, babe, are you trying to get me pregnant?"

Scowling, Sasuke rested his hands behind his head as he stared at the dull ceiling, finding it difficult to reply her. "Go wash up," he ordered.

"Care to join me?"

"No."

Sakura harrumphed, seeking a far more responsive reaction from her soon to be husband. Annoyed, she slapped his broad shoulders once before pushing herself off his body, purposefully swaying her hips provocatively as she made her way to the conjoined bathroom.

The raven-haired man couldn't find it in him to follow.

He was drifting; his mind and focus a million miles away.

He'd been doing plenty of that lately, though he didn't understand why. Perhaps it was the realization that he might never get to know Sora, his one and only son from the person who once held his very soul, heart and mind. Perhaps it was the fact that she was within reach, seemingly available and yet he couldn't take her far away from the madness that was his life.

All he'd ever wanted was sitting in the kitchen downstairs, laughing and smiling her thousand-watt smile.

"_Baby, why do you always call me 'sunshine'?" _

_A pause came about before the young Uchiha answered, "Must I tell you?"_

_The young blonde gave her best impression of an adorable kitten with teary, cerulean eyes, "Please, Sasuke? Pretty please with a cherry, chocolate sprinkles, rainbow sprinkles, walnuts and chocolate-"_

"_Alright, fine," the young man huffed, "I call you 'sunshine' because you're my sun, shining on me even when I'm the moon."_

_She scrunched her cute little button nose in distaste. "You're so corny, baby. Stop it." _

" _. . . hn." _

He didn't realize he'd fallen back to sleep, suddenly jolting awake as his eyes snapped open to the sound of rustling paper. He trained his eyes towards the direction where the offensive sound was coming from, unsurprised when Sakura busily rearranged the many scripts she held in the palm of her hands.

She gave him a small smile as she met his gaze. "Did I wake you, Sasuke-kun? Go back to sleep – you must be tired."

Sasuke didn't bother, rising as he headed towards the bathroom.

_What is it about Naru that I can never replace? How much longer will she haunt me?_

* * *

When the almost harmonious medley of voices had shifted to the beach, Sasuke found it safe to enter the first level of the mansion. Sneaking into the kitchen, he grabbed a granola bar and marched off towards the living room, where the promise of entertainment lured him to its lair.

He didn't anticipate the fact that a small boy – _his _small boy – laid on the carpeted floor, crayons and papers sprawled in front of him as he drew and colored multiple pictures of castles and dragons.

Hearing his arrival, said little boy looked up, his vivid obsidian eyes staring right through Sasuke, who felt his knees grow weak. His heart began to beat faster, drumming so loudly he was afraid the little boy could hear it.

Sitting up, the young child smiled uneasily at him. "Um . . ."

"Are you . . .? Where . . . where's your mother?" It was all Sasuke could say in that moment, words he'd been meaning to say – the very words he'd been rehearsing in his head, paragraph after paragraph of inspirational speech put together by the raven-haired man simply vanished as the young boy's eyes bored into his.

They were an exact replica of his.

For that reason, he could see the young boy's future.

_He'd be plagued with fan-girls, no doubt, _he thought grimly.

"Mommy's in the bathroom." The toddler's eyes lighted with recognition at the mention of his Mommy.

"Ah . . . okay," Sasuke nodded, moving insecurely towards the couch, near Sora's position on the floor. "What are you doing?" He then peered down, taking in the sight of hastily drawn images colored with a variety of grotesque, shocking colors that visually burned his eyes.

Sora grinned happily as he gathered all his drawings. "I'm drawing pretty pictures! Mommy says that I have to let the pretty pictures in my head out because if they're kept in here," at this, the little boy tapped his temple, "for too long, I'll forget them!"

"You're pretty articulate for a young boy."

"What's arhteecoolayte?"

Sasuke had to bite back his grin, a growing affection blossoming in his frozen heart as he began his very first interaction with his son. "It means you can speak very well."

"Oh . . . thanks! Mommy tells me stories before I sleep, and helps me with my ABC!"

He couldn't reply, his imagination running wild as he imagined the young blonde tucking in the little boy, kissing his forehead. He hated that the image was incomplete, loathed the very fact that it was merely a figment of his imagination and not an actual memory. _Why?_ He asked himself. _Why is it so important to me?_

"Are you my Daddy?" Sora abruptly asked, putting down his drawings as he questioned Sasuke in an oddly serious voice.

Unable to deny him, Sasuke murmured, "Yes."

"No you're not," his carbon copy answered. "A Daddy is someone who takes care of a Mommy. You don't take care of my Mommy, and you don't take care of me. The other kiddies at the playground have their daddies, and when I have to go home, it's always Grandpa or Granny or Mommy who's there. I don't think you're my Daddy, Daddy."

_I don't think you're my Daddy, Daddy. _

Those seven words resonated throughout Sasuke's brain, stabbing him as though a white, hot, branding iron sawed through his entire entity.

Even a child could see the truth behind many lies.

"How dare you?!"

Sakura's accusing voice pierced through the sudden drop of atmosphere, cutting through the thick air like a knife slicing butter would. Sasuke sat back and watched numbly as his fiancée strode up to the little boy who cowered behind the coffee table. "It's not your father's fault that he didn't know you even existed. Your mother is feeding you lies, child! Your father is innocent, whereas your mother is a fucking _whore _who _lies _to her son!"

Leaning her weight on one foot, she grinned smugly down at the frightened little boy who refused to cry though the tears in his midnight black eyes were evident. "In fact, not only is your mother a slut. She's a motherfucking conniving whore who doesn't know her place; lying her way through the social status like the prostitute she is."

Continuing her rant, the pink-haired actress flipped her hair, squatting to face the young child. "You say your Daddy isn't your Daddy, but is your Mommy who she says she is? She's only lying, little fool. The only thing that you bring her is pain, and she wants you out of her life, that's why she brought you here so Sasuke-kun can take you in and claim you as his son.

"Though, if you ask me, I highly doubt you're even his son. You're probably the product of her whoring ways." Scoffing, she tilted her head, emerald eyes twinkling dangerously.

Sasuke couldn't find it in himself to move, listening to the words Sakura spoke. They were venom soaring through his veins, singing in his head. Yet he couldn't stop listening, couldn't even move his body as he stared helplessly at the little boy who currently sought his father for help.

Sora's eyes pleaded for Sasuke to come and rescue him.

And for a reason unbeknownst to him, Sasuke turned away.

"Mommy would never lie! Mommy is a good person!"

_Thwack!_

Silence enveloped the already tense room.

Sasuke looked up, horrified to see the little boy clutching his right hand to his cheek, eyes brimming over with tears. "And now, little fool, you're the _liar_."

He watched as his son ran out of the room, a flash of rumpled clothing and limbs. He felt the rush of wind that whooshed past his body, felt the cold air that lay awake in his son's absence.

He fought against the bile that rose in his throat, feeling his innards bleeding inside. His perfect, structured world – a world he controlled – came crashing down at the departure of his son.

"The little tyke deserved that. He's so fucking spoiled, I swear, it's so fucking annoying." Sakura ranted, flopping into the space beside Sasuke as she cuddled closer to him.

He didn't reply, swallowing the granite in his throat.

"Let's watch a movie, Sasuke-kun!" Sakura cheered. "What are you up for, babe?"

Sasuke was a stiff, empty shell as he tried to process what had happened.

It was wrong, he knew it was, and yet his body didn't want to listen to his screaming and thrashing mind. He shouldn't have let Sakura scold his son as she did; he should've stopped it. But for an unknown reason, he couldn't help but let Sora listen to the bitter truth.

And the truth was a bitch, it really was.

Or at least it was, according to what his illogical definition of his twisted truth was.

* * *

Footsteps sounded as Naru daintily danced her way down the stairs, carefully avoiding jostling her arm too much.

Her short shower had spanned into an hour long bath as the blonde took the effort to take proper care of her injured arm. She didn't want another trip from the doctor, and since she loathed the idea of constantly popping pills and applying stinging antiseptic creams on her wound, she decided the best way to recover was to take things slower.

And heavens knew what a patient woman Uzumaki Naruto was.

Walking into the living room, she startled at the sight of Sasuke and Sakura snuggled on the couch, Sora's drawings still littered on the floor as the couple seemed absorbed into a movie that was halfway through.

"Where's Sora?" Naru asked, clearing her throat before asking the dreaded question. She'd let her son stay downstairs as she freshened up, knowing he hated being constantly coped up in their room.

She felt slight irritation that she had to interrupt the lovers' alone time, and yet, at the same time, she took a little pleasure in bursting the bubble they had.

She ignored the glare the famous actress shot her. "What kind of a mother leaves her child alone in a mansion he isn't even acquainted with?"

"A mother who knows her son far better than strangers who think that they do, that's who." Naru spat at Sakura, defiant and challenging as she sent a special glare of her own towards the pink-haired actress.

She could remember Itachi's words from before, how Sakura was the reason why he couldn't rightfully claim his position in Uchiha Industries despite the copious amount of effort he had put in to secure the rank.

And Naru wanted to make sure she was clear in her disapproval of the undeniably repugnant actress who Naru began to see as a bloodsucking leech.

"Whatever." Was Sakura's clever reply, allowing Naru to gain a brief sense of accomplishment for terrorizing the leech.

A smirk planted on her face, Naru turned to Sasuke. "Where's my son, Uchiha?"

" . . . I don't know."

Worry began to flourish in her chest as Naru's face crumpled in concern. "What do you mean?"

Only Naru could see the guilt in Sasuke's face, having spent majority of her young life with the raven-haired man. His face remained stoic, expressionless, but his eyes were beseeching hers for an apology. _What for? _Naru's mind was immediately flooded with a dozen possibilities, each far worse than the other.

"He ran out of the room."

Naru's immediate reaction was a livid, _"What?! _Why?"

"Because I told off," Sakura defended Sasuke, leaping to protect her fiancé from the fury of an antagonized mother.

Naru's expression then morphed into a menacing, petrifying one as she whispered coldly to Sakura, "You are dead to me," turning to Sasuke, her eyes widened as she growled, "_the both of you_."

* * *

Hours later, the blonde mother climbed hastily over a rock, screaming, "Sora! Where are you?!" She'd tracked his footsteps from the beach, his footprints evident as the sand indicated his hurried dash across it into the dense jungle that cloaked the island's half.

Multiple shouts echoed as a large group of searching adults raced against time to find a missing, runaway boy in the midst of a jungle.

Naru was driving herself insane with worry – the fear, guilt and anger eating away at her self-control. Her beating heart remained wildly thudding as adrenaline coursed through her exhausted body. "Sora, baby boy, _please," _Naru begged the empty air. "Come back to Mommy!"

Shouts and cries for the missing toddler could be heard from miles away.

Rationality was no longer an option; Naru was prepared to do whatever it took to get her son back. Her main priority wasn't her body, tired and drained of energy, nor was it her injured arm – the wound reopening as she clawed her way through the trail.

She'd never been an expert at tracking, yet she could hold her own, thanks to the various camping trips her family took her to when she was younger.

Yamato, due to his occupation, had taken the lead and was ahead of Naru a couple of yards away, following the tracks that the little boy had left.

Hence, it was easy for Naru to hear his disgruntled yell.

Ignoring the piercing ache in her arm, she ran, tripping and stumbling before breaking into a sprint towards Yamato's direction. "Did you-"

Her already broken heart further shattered as a lengthy stream of knee deep water separated Naru and Yamato from the other edge.

"I can't track him, Naru. Not like this." Yamato whispered, horrified – the stream was nature's escape route when one wanted to evade being found. Due to its depth, it would've been up to Sora's waist, and its fast pace was a hint that perhaps Sora had been swept furher downstream.

Naru's mind was racing, knowing what the presence of a stream meant. "I don't fucking _care_, Yamato! This is _my son _you're planning to abandon!"

"I didn't-"

Waddling into the water, Naru gasped, "Help me, Yamato! Help me find his tracks! He might have gotten across!"

"Naru-"

The blonde mother was grasping at the straws now, her tears cascading down her cheeks as she wept hysterically, "HELP ME, YAMATO, PLEASE!"

Following after the blonde, Yamato pulled her into his arms as Naru thrashed about, feverishly looking for the tracks that were not there. Her whole body trembled, not from the cold temperature of the stream, but from the possibility that her son was a gone case in the jungle that very much resembled Naru's tangling world.

"Oh, God, _please_, help me!" Naru was screaming, pushing at Yamato, desperation a clear factor in her screech.

The man only held her tighter, refusing to let go.

Eventually, her pushes became pulling as she held Yamato tighter to her body, seeking comfort. Her cries of sheer pain and terror became louder with each shaky breath she took until her voice was coarse with her endless screams of despair, and even then, she did not stop.

Naru's worst nightmare had befallen without her realizing it had started.

* * *

Night was vastly falling upon Uchiha Island.

"We c-can't s-s-stop now." Naru stammered as her pain for the lost of her son shadowed her usually bright voice.

She could feel her limbs protesting in agony.

Yet she and Yamato stayed in the stream, going back and forth as they made sure every inch was thoroughly examined.

The jungle had turned dark; it was hard for the two to see through the shades of gray.

Naru didn't stop, blearily staring at the moss and ferns and rocks. She made sure no inch remained unsearched. The utter exhaustion dragged her body down, slowing it, but the mother strove on.

Her son was out there.

No mother in the world would leave her son out in the open, vulnerable to unseen circumstances and unknown monsters.

Yamato's radio came alive then, a crackling of static before Gaara's monotonous voice droned, "We've located the boy. He's safe. We're bringing him back to the mansion."

The mad rush back to the mansion was a flurry of Naru's slipping body, tumbling and gaining far more injuries than she did the day before. She couldn't give a damn about the cuts and her sprained ankle. She couldn't even care about Yamato whom she'd left in the dust as she sprinted towards her son.

She needed to know if he was truly safe, if he'd been hurt.

And when she caught sight of him, shaking and shivering, clutching an age-old teddy-bear to his chest, Naru broke down in relieved sobs.

Sora jumped into his mother's waiting arms, outstretched as she crushed him against her frail body. He could feel her weeping tears, soaking his muddied clothes.

"I'm sorry, baby, I'm so sorry. This will never happen again." Naru pulled away from him, staring straight into his eyes. "This won't ever, _ever _happen again. I promise, sweet boy."

She carried him, facing Iruka and the others, her blue eyes cold as ice as she said, "Help me with my bags – Sora and I are going home. This bullshit has gone on for far too long. _This ends now_."

* * *

_A/N: Shit has officially hit the fan, people! This marks the end of the first arc of AoM, and holy shit, the response I've received so far is overwhelming. Really, it is. So thank you guys, like, if I could see you, I'd glomp you. :) _

_Reviews are love - so leave me some love and I promise chapters will come faster, if personal stuff doesn't get in the way, of course. _

_Ja! _

_-Aron_


	7. Chapter 7

**All Of Me: A Naruto Fanfiction**

**Disclaimer: Bitch please, I'm too proud to rip someone off. **

* * *

**Chapter Seven: Picking Up The Pieces**

"There, all set," Ino brushed a speckle of dust on Naru's shoulder. "Once we get back on mainland, we'll have a doctor look after that. I don't like the look of your arm."

Naru couldn't focus on Ino's words. Her eyes were too busy glaring at the object of her utter damnation. A tense silence followed as the young blonde refused to answer any questioning gaze, instead boring her icy blue eyes directly into obsidian ones that looked down with . . . guilt, trepidation?

She couldn't decide.

"Tell me, Sora, why did you run?" She turned her attention to her little boy, her hard eyes softening.

The toddler clung onto his mother, little fists balling the cloth that covered her torso. "I . . ."

"Go on," Naru encouraged.

"The pink, scary woman told me bad things . . . she slapped me."

There were a few things a mother such as Naru could tolerate; a little spit on her face, vomit on her shoes – she didn't mind either.

But hurt her child without her permission and by unprecedented means?

Naru was out for _blood_.

"And where was your . . . _father _throughout all this?"

"Daddy was sitting here," Sora patted the sofa, unable to lie to his Mommy even though he felt awful for saying the words that tumbled out of his mouth.

If Naru thought she knew hatred before, she was ridiculously oblivious.

The rage that welled from deep within her was bubbling over, the physicality of her fury radiating like a red aura. Her eyes flew straight to Sasuke who could only stare guiltily back. She fought against the bile that threatened to rise in her throat as the realization finally dawned on her.

This wasn't _her _Sasuke.

This . . . this _monster _had replaced the man whom she had once loved deeply.

"Leave us."

It was a request, yet the others took it as a command. "No, not you," Naru hissed as Sakura made a move along with the rest of the group. "I want you to stay. I have some _things _I'd like to talk to you about."

The actress harrumphed but nonetheless obeyed.

"Come on, little fella," Iruka coaxed Sora into his waiting arms. "We'll wait for your Mommy in the kitchen."

"But–"

"I'll be right there, baby." Naru ruffled his hair, giving him a watery smile. "Let Mommy have her adult talk."

" . . . okay."

The group moved away. Naru's eyes hardened as she leaned forward, resting her elbows on her knees. She didn't break eye contact with the raven-haired man; she held his disdainful glare steadily, an obstacle that stubbornly refused to stand down.

"You have thirty seconds – no more, no less – to tell me _your _story."

"There is nothing to tell," Sakura haughtily replied. "Your son was being an idiot, so I told him off. Should've done it earlier, I might say."

Naru slammed her hands against the coffee table, blue eyes burning with cobalt resentment. "_No one!" _She very nearly screamed, frightening both occupants of the chairs positioned opposite of her. Gritting her teeth, Naru snarled, _"No one_ hurts my son without my permission. You. Have. No. Fucking. Right."

"You're spoiling him, you moronic bitch. Better watch what you do with him or he'll end up a pussy just like his mother."

The slap that resonated wasn't at all surprising.

But the person who delivered it was what made the breath leave Naru's lungs in a rush. "Enough, Sakura," Sasuke murmured, his eyes threatening and filled with his infamous fury that rivaled Naruto's.

"But . . . Sasuke-kun . . ."

"Leave, Sakura, and don't come back down until much later." It was a warning, a threat.

The pink-haired woman left them, her mind muddled with confusion and frustration.

"I'm . . . I'm sorry for her actions, Naruto." His voice was borderline formal, his tone business-like.

And Naru detested being treated as one of his prized clients.

"Say what you want to say, it's not truly her that I'm angry with. What the fuck were you doing, sitting down there and letting your goddamned fiancée bite a kid's head off? He's just a freaking _child, _Sasuke, _your _child, and you let her slap him? You didn't even reprimand her, did you?"

"I was going to, but . . ."

"But, but, but, but," she mocked. "You're not ready to be Sora's father, aren't you, Sasuke?"

"I am, dammit!"

"NO, YOU'RE NOT!" Naru took a deep breath, attempting to reign in her ire. "You're not ready to face this kind of commitment, Sasuke. You're confused, I understand. You don't know how to be a father when yours wasn't remotely close to the bare definition."

His obsidian eyes alighted with hatred that shadowed his forethoughts. "It wasn't my fault I wasn't introduced to him in the first place."

"So now _I'm _the one in the wrong, is that it?"

"I'm beginning to think Sakura was right in slapping-"

Naru didn't think; she merely lunged at the cocky man that sat before her. Her fist connected with his jaw, the resounding crack echoing throughout the entire room. He flopped to the floor, grasping his chin as he moaned in pure agony. Naru pulled him up, her brute strength seemingly appearing out of nowhere as she growled, "No child deserves to be hit, you motherfucking son of a bitch."

With those famous last words, Naru's right knee flew up to Sasuke's crotch.

* * *

The scream that swallowed the entire mansion forced the others in the kitchen to rush into the living room.

Itachi took one look at his little brother sprawled on the floor, a pitiful yet well-deserved picture of pain. He knew he should've cared more yet he couldn't bring himself to, after all, Sasuke was the one who brought this all on himself.

All of Itachi's life was spent righting his little brother's wrongs, gaining no recognition in return. He was exhausted with having to deal with his brother's dramatic personal life, he was sick of constantly being compared to him as both of his parents condemned him of his sexuality.

All those years of hard work did little to prove himself in his parent's eyes.

He was stronger than Sasuke.

No one noticed that, apart from Deidara and Naruto.

And he was finally done, simply done, being the runner-up to his perfect little brother who did no wrong except marry a young blonde. But even then, his parents had forgiven him, because he chose Haruno Sakura – the world's most famous actress – to be his future wife and divorced a girl who had lost everyone she'd ever loved.

Itachi was done, period.

"We're leaving, Sasuke, and we're never coming back. I don't care who the fuck's after you but I'm sure as hell that my family and I will only be safe when we're thousands of fucking miles away from you and your poisonous bitch of a bride-to-be. I hope you enjoy your life, Sasuke, because I'm going to make sure you'll never be able to see Sora again."

"We will go to court." He managed to groan out, his hand still clutching his still hurting dick and balls.

"And we'll meet you there. Mark my words, Uchiha, you so much as try, there'll be no shrub, no rock that will remain unturned. I'll expose you; show the world your true colors. And when the time comes, I'll tell my story. You may have power and money but if there's one thing you lack in, it's _truth_."

Naru grabbed a worried Sora and stormed off, passing a contemplative Itachi who nodded at the others to leave.

As they did so, he proceeded to kneel beside his brother, hefting him onto his strong shoulder before setting him upright on the sofa. Sasuke's expression was nothing short of stunned, baffled . . . and hinted sadness.

"I wish you'd grow up, otouto."

" . . . hn."

"Sasuke," Itachi grabbed his brother by the top of his arms. Black eyes met its identical pair as the older Uchiha shook Sasuke. "_Why_? Tell me what's troubling you, and maybe for the last time, I can help." In the end, family was family. A certain blonde woman had taught him that – family _always _came first, even if Itachi wanted to simply give up and let his brother drive himself into a self-destructive abyss of his own creation.

He received no reply.

Itachi dropped his hands.

Sighing, he stood and walked away.

As he reached the doorway, he turned back to Sasuke's still form on the couch. "I've never known you to be a coward, Sasuke."

* * *

"Pack everything you need, Sora, we're leaving tonight."

"Okay, Mommy."

"Make sure all your stuff toys and crayons are in your Mickey Mouse backpack when I'm done with packing our luggage."

"Okay, Mommy."

Naru turned to face her suddenly obedient son, "Sora?"

"Yes, Mommy?"

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing, Mommy."

She knelt in front of him, grabbing his hands in one of her own whilst the other brought her son's downcast chin to face her. "_What's wrong, _Sora?"

" . . . I'm sorry, Mommy, for causing you all these trouble."

"Oh, sweetie, you're no trouble at all." Naru soothed him, rubbing his arms as she pulled him closer.

Sora crumpled into his mother's comforting body, his head shaking. "Ms. Sakura said I'm no good to you, Mommy. She said I make things bad for you."

Naru jerked Sora back, her eyes fierce. "Listen to me, Uzumaki Sora, and listen very carefully. I love you, more than my own life. You are the best thing that's happened to me, and I don't care about the noise that you make or how much mess you create. You're my son, and no one can ever take that away from you. You're an _Uzumaki_; you're proud and you're strong. Above all, you _love_."

Naru took a cautious breath. "Never let anybody take that away from you. Okay?"

She gave him her true smile, the one that was especially reserved for him only.

Sora retaliated with a brilliant, holey smile of his that caused Naru's resolve to leave the damned island to further heighten, "Yes, Mommy."

"Good. Now start packing, baby, we've got a long journey ahead."

* * *

"Ms. Uzumaki, please-"

"I said _no, _Kakashi. Do you want another reminder that a livid Uzumaki is no kind soul?"

"But-"

"No."

"Not even-"

"_No,_" Naru snapped at the man hiding on the other end of the line. "And that's final. We're taking off now. I'll call you when we reach the airport back in the States."

Shutting off her phone, Naru settled into her hard seat, Ino on her left, Neji on her right, and Iruka beside her lavender-eyed friend. Sora was stretched on their laps, the tips of his toes reaching on half of Neji's thigh as his head remained on Ino's.

"If my calculations are correct," Yamato called from the back of Naru's seat, "we'll be home in less than fifteen hours. This flight only has one layover, so try to get as comfortable as possible."

"Thank you, Yamato, for coming with us."

"Lee and Gaara wouldn't come, seeing as their main priority were the Uchihas, so who else would get stuck with the job?" Yamato joked, reaching over to flick Naru's earlobe.

Naru chuckled, "Watch it, Yamato, or Iruka and Neji will happily behead you."

His quick withdrawal of his hand was a clear indication the policeman still feared her two overprotective friends. They smiled wryly at her before settling back into their own chairs, letting the drama of the past few hours drift away.

Naru closed her eyes and began dreaming of happier times.

* * *

"_Come on, Sasuke, don't be such a KJ!" _

"_KJ?"_

"_Yeah, you know, 'killjoy?' It's when you purposefully crush other people's hopes and happiness-"_

"_I know what it means, you baka. I'm just unfamiliar with acronyms, seeing as they were built for people of low intellect such as you." Sasuke snorted, wincing as the blonde smacked his arm._

"_Don't call me an idiot, you asshole. It's mean."_

"_Like you calling me 'asshole' isn't."_

_Naru huffed. "It was a _retort_. Can we ride the rollercoaster now, please?"_

_And who was he to refuse her pleading, teary cerulean blue gaze that not even the fearless Itachi could withstand? So what if he was afraid of rollercoasters; that they freaked him out simply because he couldn't stand the sudden drop, how he couldn't control his screams that was sure to follow that horrifying downturn?_

_Of course, his girlfriend wouldn't understand; she was a goddamned thrill-seeker. _

_She was the complete opposite of him, differing so much from his quiet personality. He couldn't stand mess; she created them. He hated clingy girls; she was the epitome of clingy. He preferred sushi over ramen; she practically worshipped ramen and would smack him if he said otherwise. _

"_Okay." He finally consented, "but only once." _

"_HOLY SHIT, YES! OH MY GOD, I LOVE YOU SO MUCH!" Naru screamed, throwing her arms around his neck, kissing him soundly before laughing her heart away. He couldn't help the small smile that lifted his lips as she dragged him towards the long line of people who waited patiently for the ride, Naru chattering happily in front of him and charming the people who stood around her. _

_He remembered his stomach turning several times over as they reached the top. Naru was squeezing the life out of his hand – and it was all he could focus on. He wasn't speaking but Naru was having none of that. _

_As their seats began tilting forward, Naru leaned towards him to whisper, "Let go."_

_And then the rollercoaster came hurdling down._

Sasuke thought he knew what it was like to lose her once. He thought he'd never have to go through the sheer amount of pain, the strong sense of loss that enveloped his senses and overwhelmed his brain.

He thought he knew everything.

It was obvious how wrong he was.

He slammed his shot glass onto the table, filling it to the brim with tequila. He ignored the lemon that was meant to counteract the bitterness of the liquor, downing the shot so fast he didn't even need to swallow.

His drinking continued until it was early morning.

Sasuke's world was spinning out of control. He was pretty sure he'd vomited more than twice.

"Why, he asked?" His words were slurred as he talked to everyone and anyone. "Why I let that dumb bitch hurt my son? They don't fucking understand." He was babbling now. "They don't understand . . ."

Itachi sat on the other edge of their built-in bar, listening to the words his brother hardly meant. He was disappointed. _Even until now, he still denies being the one in the wrong. _

"Naru . . . oh God, Naru . . . I fucking love her . . . she's . . . she's everything, ya know? She's everything to me, and she's gone. Again. Because I let her. Again. I love her, fucking hell, I love her _so much_."

And Sasuke was crying, irrational tears dripping down his chin as his head flopped about the table, almost touching his wayward vomit. He continually banged his fists against the marble top, cursing and yelling that he loved her.

Having had enough, Itachi stood and carried his little brother over his shoulder.

He never stopped crying even as Itachi cleaned him off, his expression impassive as he cleaned and cleaned, denying Sakura to see her fiancé in his worst state. "Not now," he told her, "he doesn't need you now."

Itachi was a scary person when he took proper care of Sasuke.

His hands were all too used to fixing his little brother's mistakes, cleaning him up and taking the brunt of the work his brother left behind for him to accomplish. Their parents never saw the drugs that Sasuke had brought from school once. Neither did they see the vodka he'd stolen from the nearby liquor store.

Itachi was all too used to being the caretaker, and he was fine with it.

Because a blonde woman had thought him how to.

That, and because she once slapped him on his cheek for complaining, _"There's a whole lot more people who go through worse than you. Suck it up."_

It was the first time he got slapped on the face.

"Why aniki?" Sasuke demanded of his older brother, "Why can I never get things right?"

"Because you're afraid of getting things wrong, otouto."

"Help me, aniki," Sasuke suddenly sat up, hurling himself onto his knees in front of Itachi. His eyes were crazed, yet they burned brilliantly in the dim light of the spare room Itachi had found to put his brother in temporarily. "Help me, please, I can't . . . I don't . . . I don't know what to do . . . I love her, so much it aches here."

Sasuke proceeded to claw at his chest, directly above where his heart was situated.

"You want me to help you?"

"Yes," he nodded eagerly.

"Help yourself first."

* * *

Days had passed since they left Uchiha Island.

No one spoke about their eventful, short vacation. Naru only had the heart to tell Tsunade and Jiraiya simply because she knew if they were to find out what had conspired through the means of other sources, the older blonde would have her head on a stick. Jiraiya would have paraded across their street with it.

She shivered from the high probability that that was indeed their go-to punishment.

"Okay, guys, gather!" Iruka called, breaking Naru from her daydream. She gathered Ino and Neji before the three crowded around Iruka, each taking a seat as they got ready for their weekly meeting concerning prospective jobs.

"It's a no go today," Iruka sighed.

Naru bit her lip; this was the second consecutive week that they were going without jobs. No one wanted to do murals presently, what with the high cost and the amount of time wasted to come up with a decent design.

But that wasn't Naru's main concern.

There were bills to pay and money to spend; without a job, Sora would suffer.

"Instead," Iruka's voice broke through her condescending thoughts, "we got a friggin' _gallery opening!" _

"Craymansayswhat?" Ino's spewed words were fast, and only Naru could catch them.

She laughed as Iruka said, "What?"

The two blonde cackled with loud laughter, leaving the two men pondering their sanity. "What do you mean, Iruka?" Neji, ever the rational man, leaned forward. His lavender eyes glowed with suppressed hope; this was his chance, finally, to show the world his art. If he was given a chance to do so, all his debts would be paid.

He'd be acknowledged – finally.

"I called in a few favors with a few friends-"

"Exactly _how _many friends do you have, Iruka?" Naru waggled her eyebrows suggestively, winking at a reddening Iruka.

He was quick to hush her. "Shut up, Naru."

His response was her laughter.

"Anyway, as I was saying, I called up a few friends and one of them recently finished renovating an old building. He was planning to use it as an art gallery. He's pretty influential; he'll be able to get some of the top people in the art industry to come."

"Holy hell . . ." Naru whispered, the reality of the situation dawning on her so suddenly.

"'Holy hell' is just about right. Anyway, he was amused by the idea of mural painters coming to work on an art piece, each, for his gallery. He's willing to give us an exhibition each. The money we make off our work goes directly to us."

"What's the catch?" Neji questioned, knowing it was all too good to be true.

Iruka pursed his lips. "Everything we paint has to be the best."

"We're fucked, then." Ino groaned.

"No, we're not," Naru shook her head, "we can do this. We work best under pressure. Remember last year, when Mr. Haku came up with a new design and demanded for us to complete it even though we were almost done with his initial design? We shot that pain-in-the-ass design down so fast, by the time we were done, we felt like we were gods?"

"Yeah, and I remember you girls cursing Haku to the deepest part of hell all the way throughout the night." Neji smirked at the memory.

"We'll curse and we'll drink coffee and we'll do whatever the hell we want," Naru poked him. "When's the deadline?" She turned to Iruka, blonde hair unintentionally slapping Neji across his cheek. Annoyed, he pushed her slightly with a triumphant smile as she stumbled a little.

_I swear, they're like an older brother-sister pairing, _Ino thought, watching the two. She chuckled as Naru pushed Neji back.

It looked like no matter how old they were, they were always going to act the same.

"He gave us three weeks."

"Plenty of time to come up with something," Naru nodded. She then proceeded to tackle an unsuspecting Iruka, her arms coming around his shoulders tightly as she jumped up and down. "Thank you, thank you, thank you, Iruka! We owe you so much!"

He patted her back contentedly. _No, Naru, _he thought, _we owe you._

* * *

"Sir, we've detected another breach in security with the main branch." A masked man approached his silver-haired commander who had his feet propped up on his table, carelessly resting atop multiple blueprints. His hands were busy with throwing a miniscule basketball into a miniature basketball hoop strategically placed on the side of the table.

"How many?"

"Six of our men are already dispatched to handle the situation. All major goods have been shipped off to Barbados, sir. We have maximum security there."

"Send them to our base in Afghanistan."

"What?" The masked man was baffled by his commander's orders.

The silver-haired man still casually threw basketballs into the hoop, though he kept missing. "Forgive me, sir, but we're forbidden to send technologies of any sort to Afghanistan. We have no permission from Congress or the President himself."

"If we send them to our most maximum security branch, the suspect will go directly there, because it's too obvious. We send them to Afghanistan, end of story."

"Yes, sir."

"Anything else?"

"Sir . . . Ibiki has finished with the interrogation with Number One."

"Anything useful?" Kakashi's voice remained lighthearted as he continued to miss his target.

His henchman nodded. "Yes, sir. Number One has confirmed your theory of their leader wanting to use the _Kyuubi _missile against the United States of America. He has not stated how many hostile forces there are but he has confirmed that they are now targeting Uzumaki Naruto and her son. He doesn't know how their leader looks like; he wears a mask around them. He describes the leader's voice as deep and menacing, almost gravelly. He has also stated that their leader was once close to both the boss and Uzumaki."

"Is that all?"

"Yes, sir."

"You're dismissed. Thank you."

Kakashi took a while to aim his last ball properly. As his henchman shut the door behind him, he threw his final ball.

He watched wearily as it swished right through the net.

* * *

Naru was busy at work, spending the last few days before her deadline to finish up on her art works. For the past two weeks and the days after, she'd been busy painting and painting. She drew inspiration from Sora, who became her little cheerleader as he sat and watched with fascination as his mother became absorbed in her work.

He was mesmerized by all the colors, the sheer vibrancy of her work ricocheting off the canvas and into his eyes.

Her work was amazing, and he _adored _it.

Naru whilst painting was a sight to behold. She was focused and distracted at the same time; she'd dance and sing as she painted. Her azure eyes would light up so vividly that it was astounding.

She wouldn't let Ino and the others see what she was working on; she wanted her work to remain anonymous to them so that when they did, they could properly appreciate it. Tsunade and Jiraiya were no exception as well, no matter how much they threatened, begged or argued.

With every stroke of her brush against the canvas, every single facet of her being molded itself onto the paintings. Each canvas told a short snippet of a large story that could only be seen when her all her work was finally combined.

Such were her days recently – she'd wake up, make breakfast for both Sora and herself, before spending hours on end painting. Her clothes were stained with acrylic, watercolor and oil paints. Tsunade and Jiraiya came by often; both curious to watch Naru in her element.

And Sora remained plastered to her side, fixated by whatever he saw in the paintings his grandma wanted so badly to see but never could because she'd be shooed by Naru.

Today was unlike any other day; Naru was painting as usual, and Sora was once again stuck to her side. Tsunade lounged on Naru's decrepit couch with her husband as the two watched a marathon of some cheesy television series that was simply cringe-worthy.

Then a knock sounded.

Every movement stopped.

Even Naru placed her paintbrush down.

Wiping her hands on her stained shirt, she hurried to open the door.

Her eyes widened as she caught sight of a repentant Sasuke standing on the other side of the door, a stranger to his previous home. His dark eyes never left hers as he whispered, "Hello."

* * *

_A/N: I seriously hope I haven't pissed anyone off with my work. I know Sasuke's been a real bitch, but it takes time for wounds to heal. He's taking care of his pride but I promise you, he'll come around. :) No matter what, please know that it's never in my intentions to bash ANY character; I am merely trying to portray these characters the way I want them to be portrayed in this story. Therefore, I apologize for any Sakura or Sasuke lovers out there - their characters WILL improve, I promise, but let my story flow. :) _

_Updates - I'll try to update as often as I can but it all depends on my availability. So if my next chapter comes a couple of weeks later, I humbly apologize. I told myself that since I started this story, I might as well see it through. _

_And reviews, people! They give me much fluffiness and love! _

_Ja!_

_-Aron_


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